Chrysalis Heart
by Yincira
Summary: AU. What if the story was about the plight of the demons? Nina's more heroic, Azazel doesn't disappear, Belphegor doesn't die, Kaisar's more self aware.
1. Salvation

**· · · · · · ·**

 **Author's Note :** _initially born from disappointment at the lack of attention to the interesting scenario with the demons. Then writing these point of views turned out fun, and it was also interesting to see how telling a similar story in different format exists cause it allows me to expand on some details that the tv time limit doesn't. This is a really interesting setting to explore and there's a lot of different stuff to be done with the characters, so it may not be entirely a waste of time?_

 **· · · · · · ·**

 _— "A good guy, eh?"_

 _—_ _"No way a bounty can be a good guy, you fool."_

When Nina had come to Anatae with dreams of earning money for her mother and hopes for an awesome life as bounty hunter, she had not imagined the first thing to learn about the only bounty left would be that he killed only bad people.

Of course, those people he killed had been hurting demons, and demons had a long history of hurting humans. So he killed bad people who hurt bad people. Nina just wanted to catch the murderous rag demon all the more after that and figure out what it really was about. It couldn't be good. Surely Bacchus, a god with a magical machine of crime detection, knew what he was talking about.

Besides, she didn't really want to send home money to her mother with a story about how she'd stopped someone who stopped bad people. So she better get his real reasons. Maybe he was plotting to kill less bad people later.

She had plenty of time to figure out how to question him, because the jerk was awfully hard to even catch a glimpse of. With no other criminals to hunt for, she had gotten a job at a construction site. It was only enough to feed her draconic appetite, so she lived in Bacchus's carriage for now. It was small, but she could swear it was roomier on the inside than outside. She'd never hear of any Bacchus god before, but his friend Hamsa was a talking goose with a crown, so they had to be gods. They were also drunk a lot, so they weren't always helpful, but staying with them was nice.

Every early morning, she stepped from the liquory room into the cool city air. By now the mixed human scents felt familiar and welcome. The city was her home now, and she knew almost everyone on the market between her and her work. It was full of wonderful people, none of whom knew enough about her to call her silly for what they didn't know she couldn't do. It was great, really, except for all the hot guys. There had almost been ... accidents.

Oh well. The fact was there _hadn't_ actually been accidents yet, and she was sure she could keep it that way. The bounty on the rag demon's head was so massive, her mother might live years off of it, so she could just go home after capturing him. This was worth the risk.

As Nina ran through the streets, she greeted to everyone she knew and everyone she didn't know but looked her way. The latter wasn't many by this point, it was just so easy to make friends.

The baker Marcio threw her a cinnamon roll, which she stopped for to dig into. A heavy older man with pencil mustache, he was definitely not her type. Interacting with him was plenty safe.

"Your stuff really is excellent! Thank you!"

"You're welcome," he said with a wide grin. "But you really ought to thank Charioce XVII."

People had been saying that ever since she arrived. It was a little weird how they just kept saying it, really. It wasn't like this yummy cinnamon roll had been baked by the king. She doubted the king even knew how to bake, he had all those important war things to do. He'd just had a parade to celebrate his return and was gonna head out again soon. No way that was for a baking contest.

"Yeah, but he's not here though," Nina said. "So thank you for your skills."

"Oh, Nina," he said with a hearty laugh. "You're such a good girl."

"Mom says so too, but I think I gotta prove that a little more." She held up her wrist with Favaro's bounty hunter bracelet. "Tell me again once I got my first catch!"

"Oh child. Be careful of the demons!" Emeline from the next stall said. She always did that after the rag demon had murdered people again, but it was pretty pointless. There weren't much demons in any of the places a girl like Nina would be expected to go, and the rag demon only targeted the people who targeted demons. So far.

He's probably consider her a bad person if she attacked him, of course. Demons in the past had killed folks who had never hurt demons. Every knew this, even in her remote village. Once she caught him, the rag demon would probably turn out to be just less awful cause there were more mean humans to focus on.

Every late afternoon, work done, she hung around the city and tried to find out where the rag demon was most likely to strike. Initially her tactic had been to just run around the city hoping to find him, but once Bacchus got in a mostly sober mood he'd chewed her for that. Obviously, she had to go first to places he was likely to strike at. To achieve that, she talked to guards, traders and so on. Stories of where demons would be sold to or where lots of corpses were carted away were often indicative, and by now she'd seen him a number of times.

There were limits she'd never imagined. More than just speed and combat. She couldn't loiter too much near the aristocratic mansions and she was pretty sure the Orleans Knights were suspicious of her now. They were a bit like the people who kept guard, except much more intense. With all the people here, there were some bad folks and they were probably really necessary for safety, but they were so likely to assume the worst of everyone. They kept giving her looks and one had addressed her with a decidedly not friendly tone. They didn't believe she was a bounty hunter for some reason.

Nina would've cleared things up, but their captain was very handsome and never wore a helmet for some reason. According to the city folk, he never wore helmets because he was in love with his own hair. She could certainly see the signs of that, and she and everyone around would feel the results too if she risked talking. So she'd run from him a few times, and now she got the impression it was best to avoid them altogether.

Much easier was talking to the common guards anyway. They were as chatty as the people on the market and always up for a talk. Today, she got in a talk with the gatekeeper to the rich people district in the upper ring, from whom she learned the best way to make carrot pie as per a recipe of his wife, that swallows were a good indication of the weather, and that there would be a new cargo this evening so her dainty little self ought to steer clear just in case any nasty demons escaped.

Time to steer right into the upper rings, of course.

Scaling the walls to the upper ring was easy. She might suck with a bow, but her whip allowed her to scale a nearby building with shop plates, reach the roof, and jump on the wall from there. This place was so obviously built only for humans.

The place that would receive these demons was easy enough to find, everything had street names here.

The cargo carriage just drove off by the time she got there. While the rag demon never entered through the door, the screaming usually tipped her off. Somehow the monsters always escaped through a different exit though, she never got lucky. This place had only one exit, however. She waited around the corner of an alley that gave clear sight of this gate.

The area looked pretty quiet, and remained quiet for a long time. Nina had patience though, plenty of it.

Aaaaand ... there he was! For once she spotted him before he got there. Yes!

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel leaped across the umpteenth frail roof when spotted a familiar bright spot at the incoming street corner. Pink and beige, with a determined frown.

Ugh. No. _Her_ again.

Some wannabe bounty hunter with an obviously fake bracelet had been trailing him for the last few weeks. He always had to take precautions just to avoid her seeing where the escaped slaves went. She was fast enough to keep up with him when he ran, shaking her was more of a nuisance than the Orleans Knights. They at least had the curtsy to be late all the time.

He pretended not to see her, dropped at the door of his target and broke the lock with his black hand. After slipping in, he sealed it with a magic serpent turned wire; didn't want any damn human slipping out and sounding the alarm.

Or any getting in. The door rattled a bit behind him as that stupid girl tried to pass.

He'd have killed her any time, really. He just never had the chance, he was too busy killing the slavers and helping the demons get away before the Orleans Knights arrived. The knights had a protocol of blind open fire with their dragons and while he could deal with that, the regular demons could not. They were easy targets. Therefore, he absolutely did not have the time to deal with the nuisance. It wasn't that he'd lost his proud demon nature or anything.

The cobblestone walls reeked of fungus, human sweat and demon blood. Torches did a poor job lightning the place despite humans needed more to see. This wasn't a high end trading post, but it was prolific and new. He'd caught word of them after they delivered to a new construction site.

Most halls and rooms were deserted, but the sound of drunken laughter carried through them. He ignored it in favor of finding the demons first, he had to see how many there were and how to best get them out.

He kept himself wrapped in dark rags to blend with the shadows, and the rest of himself bandaged. They always thought they fought something weak that needed the shadows. One eye was enough to see, and it had the advantage it sent everyone suspecting the rag demon lacked an eye. Like today. The first guard who spotted him was the original type that tried to stab out his one eye. Anyone who tried that, he'd stab the eyes out of first. They'd die right after, unless there was more immediate to kill.

Him and his fellows disposed of slipped deeper into the place until he found the storage hall. Since this place had only one exit and was guarded, he had to clear the way.

It had become a routine by now. The faces of the humans were always the same : cold, greedy, greasy. He killed them without second thought, no longer bothering to even draw out their death. They weren't worth the time and there was no game in the same over and over.

The faces of the demons were always just a little different. Some feared him, others doubted, then there was disbelief, quiet joy, sometimes even an outright smile. Rarely did the last happen, even more more rarely was it meant for him so much as for the idea of freedom. This was a far cry from he had ruled demonkind once, except for maybe the fear.

At the first cage he broke open, he told the most healthy looking one what way the exit was. She was to keep the others in line, and keep quiet. That done, he moved into the next room.

The scent of blood was thickest here, accompanied by the early stench of rot. Wings dangled from the hooks and mangled corpses lay around. Most children and elderly. A hearth nearby still had the cauterization tools smoldering in the ashes. The wing amputation methods were needlessly brutal, as always. Azazel knew all about the fine details of torture. Everything here was made to ensure only the strongest survived. In practice that meant hiring those who enjoyed this work.

One day he'd do the same to Charioce.

In a far away cage were a few still living demons, who hadn't yet been 'processed'. He broke the cage open and let them get out. One of them sunk down on his knees at a nearby corpse, muttering and shaking.

Azazel grabbed him by the arms and hauled him up. That one was dead. It was better to accept that right away. They all had to.

He killed two more humans before they could incite the torture spell on the collars. By then the survivors had gathered around the appointed leader. Good, he'd picked a decent one this time. Herding people wasn't his best asset.

Without words, he told them to follow to the door, which he unlocked.

A little tuft of pink hair and a brown shoe tip stuck out of the alley to the left. Hell, she was persistent. Hmm ... there was no sound yet of encroaching knights, so he could afford a little play.

Pointing his thumb to the right to send the demons on their way, he turned to the left himself. He kept the door wide open, concealing the escaping demons from her sight while he himself stayed clear in the moonlight.

"Hey, you."

The girl startled, but then jumped out of hiding, brandishing a whip. "Hold it right there! You've gotten away long enough, you jerk!"

He sighed. She never did manage to sound intimidating. He's been referred to as prey, evildoer, bad guy, criminal and a bunch of more things in the kind of voice that sold candy on festivals. If he was gonna have a pest dedicated to him, couldn't it at least be a worthy opponent?

She wasn't even worth talking to, so he just teleported away right before her eyes.

Ghosting back into sight on the roof, he leaned over to the show. The girl looking all around herself like a fool, but never up. She even turned to look down. Was she ... was she looking for his footprints or something? Did she think he had shrunken?

How could he resist? Azazel dislodged a roof tile and dropped it on her butt, where she had a bag. It tore loose.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Now she looked up. Nice and loud, drawing the attention of the Orleans Knights whom he could now hear in the distance. Let Kaisar deal with this headache.

He made a show of moving backward, so she ran into the alley next to the building. He jumped across one street, then teleported back to where he'd come from while she ran on.

Teleportation didn't get him far and took a lot of magical energy, so he raced the rest of the the time he rejoined the escaped slaves, there were eight left. Well, he wasn't going after the fools who had broken loose, but he'd bring these as far as he could. What point in freeing demons if humans just caught them again?

He dropped down. "Follow me."

They never recognized his voice, if he hushed it. Ordinary citizens of Cocytus rarely ever knew him beyond the commands he gave.

The slums were always quiet, unless a fight broke out or someone died, because the Orleans Knights patrolled the area. Down one of the roads was the lament of a small group mourning the loss of a family member, if he understood right. The low wail matched a familiar melody, thought it lacked the words. Music of their own kind was forbidden, woe anyone who practiced it.

Slowly now, checking out every street, he led them to Rita's place. She let him in with little more than a sigh.

The group filed in after him, hesitating when they smelled her humanity. "She's not human anymore," he said. It wasn't really accurate, she was entirely human. Just kinda held together with dark magic. But she wasn't one of this empire and that was the most important thing.

"Everyone, sit down, I'll look over you. We're removing the collars in a minute. I have one rule : you never tell anyone you were here with those things on. Got it?"

Numb, they nodded.

Pffft, we? That was all Azazel's job.

He could break metal using his own raw strength, but doing so without any metal pieces landing in windpipes took care. The alternative was filing them off, which took forever and a lot of strength these demons didn't have. They were just commoners, after all.

Rita directed an old guy to a side room, which served as storage, waste disposal and kitchen. In the corner was a chair, towels for potential blood and a crude metal stand they'd crafted from scratch. The small opening in the wall was for getting rid of the green stones.

"Sit there," he said.

He turned the collar sideways, so the lock could be screwed into the hold and the hinges away to the side of the neck, away from spine and throat.

The rocks were magically programmed to activate if a demon touched them, to prevent them from being cracked or pried loose. To remove them, the entire collar had to go. The problem was, the collars were often just welded shit with heat; too much demons grew claws that could tamper with a lock.

Of course this wasn't a problem for him. He conjured up two of his black serpents, small as he could will them. He stuck his black hand between the collar and the flesh and started prying at the hinge with the snakes.

He got about halfway through the metal when the stone flared up. The old guy cried out in and agony. Along with the stand, he fell to the ground trashing.

Dammit! He had missed one of the slavers.

In the other room something fell over along with a chorus of screams.

"Azazel, quiet them!" Rita called.

Dammit, _dammit_. He shot into the front room while Rita passed to the back with a cloth in her hand. While he wrapped his snakes around the mouths and arms of the screaming demons, Rita tied up the mouth of the one in the back. It muffled the noise somewhat, but not enough. There was an echo in the ghetto due to how deep it went. The last they needed was the Orleans Knights following the screaming after learning of the attack.

Foregoing care, he grabbed the nearest collar and cracked is open with his bare hands. Blood from the metal and his sharp nails sprayed around. The lock fell off, but the demon clutched his throat still. In the moment of distraction, he lost control of two snakes behind him. One of them lashed out with their arms before clawing at their throat. Azazel jumped at him, took him in a hold from behind and grabbed the lock.

This time he used his other hand, which didn't lack in strength but had softer flesh. His nails dug into his palm when the lock cracked. No time for pain, he moved on to the next. After the seven in this room, he took the collars to the back room, where Nina had tied up the last one.

Rita held open the disposal and Azazel threw in the collars.

The old demon on the ground didn't move, while the collar still glowed. Azazel broke this one off too, not needing to be careful anymore. He had stopped breathing.

"Too late. He was old and already had an infection from the botched amputations anyway." Rita locked eyes with him, waiting whether he'd say something first. "I probably can't use him for organ transplants or anything, and you're behind on payment."

He hated it when she did this, but they had an agreement, so he kept his mouth. It was one of many thing he's needed to keep his mouth on ever since the fall of Cocytus, and had never stopped stinging.

"Kill some aristocrats next, you're not off the tab yet," she said.

He left through the back door while Rita knelt down and bit.

No sight of Mugaro on the streets nor in the back alley.

Had he moved locations without permission again, or had they caught him? Had it been a good idea to use that girl as diversion? What if they started suspecting any random kid now?

Azazel paced around and considered seeking him out, but what if he missed him and the knights came here?

The door creaked open. Out looked the demon he's appointed leader.

"We're done. I mean, she's done tending to our wounds."

He said nothing.

"What do we do now?"

Saying he didn't know felt too weak, but it was always the answer. There was nothing to do but survive. None of these seemed strong enough to join the rebels. "What you do is try not to get caught."

"And ... about the other ..." She looked backed. From his angle he could just see the door to the storage room. There were two sets of foot steps within Rita's back room, but nobody would come out.

"He's gone," Azazel said. "And you should go too."

He turned and paced down the dark end of the alley, just to be rid of the staring. They vanished the other way.

He'd failed one and saved the rest, if only for the slums. It shouldn't matter in the grand scheme. Saving the demons wasn't anything he could do alone, but he also couldn't just let the humans get away with this.

When the backdoor of Rita's place opened again he tensed up, but it was a familiar face. Mugaro managed a smile, but the bloody rooms behind him clearly bothered him. He gave Azazel that questioning look about how the mission went.

"It's fine," Azazel lied. "Did you spot any Orleans Knights?"

Mugaro nodded. He took out a map Azazel had drawn of the slums and pointed out where exactly they'd been : no more than five streets from here. Was it a coincidence, had they followed that girl, or had they heard something?

Not that he couldn't handle them — their metal armor was as fragile to him as these locks were — but Rita was friends with their captain. Kaisar was her little pet and the last thing he needed was to get on the bad side of the only qualified doctor in the city would treated demons. So he avoided poking at Kaisar too much. Any fight one got into with his knights inevitably resulted in Kaisar 'nobly' throwing himself to the front lines.

Besides, any knight he killed would be replaced, Kaisar included. It was a task with no end in sight.

 **· · · · · · ·**

As the sun scorched the sand, it was hotter in here than outside. The stench of demon blood never really went away, but on days like these it rose to the sky to rile the crowd. Their screams blended with the bellows of the gladiators. The only one who ever was silent was the king himself. On the throne ahead of him, he might as well be absent.

The fight was utterly unfair : an orc with only a shield and small sword, pitted against an 8 feet, four armed reptilian with a massive saber in each hand. Nobody came to the arena for the tension or the art of battle, or even bets. It was all about the slaughter.

He turned his eyes to the ground. As if sending that, Charioce said, "Kaisar. Look at them. Fighting for life."

A small pause, then he added, "I'm told last night you failed to apprehend even an unarmed target."

She hadn't been unarmed and her strength was beyond any human, but one didn't argue with Charioce. Ever.

Right at that moment, the larger demon struck the orc off his feet. With a yelp, he rolled through the sand.

"Do not not disappoint me." Charioce never looked back at him, but his hand leaned strangely in the air, almost like a claw aimed at him.

"Yes," Kaisar said. Only a moment too late he realized he'd forgotten to add, _my liege_.

"I have been patient with your failure to capture the Rag Demon, but now it has come to my attention that you can't even capture a measly demon woman? Perhaps it is not the speed of the Rag Demon and the dark hours, but your incompetence," Charioce said.

It was a challenge to his skills now. Gone was the patience Charioce had had for years. Kaisar had expected this day to come, feared it ... and had thought about what to do. The answer wasn't savory, but he did agree the murders had to stop.

The battle ended and the funerary service came out. A tall demon and a smaller one loaded the corpse of the demon on a cart, along with the discarded weapons.

The idea struck Kaisar that Charioce would put him down there, if he failed too often. Look at them, or become a corpse to be loaded away.

The funary demon stopped and stared at Charioce for a moment. Charioce didn't flinch, but a familiar chill went through Kaisar's spine. He couldn't quite place it yet.

The moment passed and the match ended. Kaisar was excused to his regular duty of overseeing security when it was time for the races instead — the message all too clear : only the fight mattered.

This was not what he had imagined knighthood to be like.

He joined his second hands in the courtyard. Young, blond Allesand sported a massive bump on his head and an expression to match. Quite unbefit for the nobleman's son; Kaisar could imagine why they were alright with him being a knight rather than lining him up for marriage.

Old, somber Dias stood by, calm as always and patient with the complaints of the boy. "What did he want, captain?"

"We must take extra measures to capture the rag demon."

"Finally! That demon has been humiliating us for too long! And that girl just made it worse! What are we going to do, captain?" Allesand said all too eagerly.

Sometimes he worried about Allesand.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina yawned again and almost tripped. Just barely she managed to balance the wooden beams on her shoulder. That required her to launched forward and she almost tiptoed into a cart.

Getting just to the brink of accident was a frequent recurrence in her life, and this wasn't even the worst it could be. The kids at home said she was born for trouble, but she hadn't ever gotten into any, and it _would_ stay that way. Even if she spent the night hunting demons and dodging the law enforcers who just didn't get it.

"That was a close one, Nina," Anton said as he walked by, carrying much less than she did.

"Sorry," she said, smiling. "I'll look out better next time."

"You stayed up too late again, didn't you?" Athias leaned down from his work station, a teasing glint in his eyes. "I really think you're lying about having no boyfriend."

"I really don't have one!" she said, feeling a blush rise to her face. Athias had the kind of face and build she might like on a boyfriend — don't think about that don't think just think about anything else. "So how's the painting going along?"

"Uh, quite fine," he said. "See for yourself."

Of course that was a weird question. The wall featuring Bahamut Charioce was in plain sight of the construction site. In the setting sun, Bahamut seemed more ominous, while the king shone like the sun. Athias had brought out the dread and the glory with an art that required excelling control of one's own body — something she could do only for mundane matters such as walking and fighting as a human.

Athias's face was kind of glorious too. She'd spent a lot of time looking at the painting just to distract herself from that. This would be a bad place for accidents and it'd surely disappoint her mother.

"Maybe she _should_ get a boyfriend for safety?" Gosing said from his spot at the racks.

"Since when does our Nina need protection? She's stronger than any of us!" Athias said.

"Yeah, but she's still a lonely girl and who knows. Maybe people are gonna mistake her for a demon or something. I wouldn't want any misunderstandings like that."

"Oh, I'm sure the Orleans Knights aren't gonna get on Nina's case. Why would they?" Anton said.

Gosing shuffled a little closer, and others huddled around to listen. "To be honest, I dunno what to think of the Orleans Knights. I heard they took demon women from the red light districts not too long ago. I know a guy there and he said they guided them out, not like an arrest. The owner hadn't called them on theft or anything. I don't think the Orleans Knights are as noble as they say."

"That does sound weird." Athias climbed down to join the huddle. "Are you sure of your guy?"

"Yeah. _I'm_ sure of the guy," he said. "Anyway, I'm just saying Nina should be careful here. The knights are—"

"Shhh, we don't want anyone to hear we're questioning the knights of the king, Nina," Anton said.

"Why not?" Nina asked. "Everyone always says he's such a good king, why would he mind when someone points out a few of his people misbehave?"

Nobody answered that. Anton just shrugged and turned away, the rest followed. Athias patted Nina on the shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus was in the middle of a nice bath — one of the few tolerable places in this dirthole of a human city — when Coco reappeared. "Ruff, we get familiar guests!"

She stepped out and took the towel Mimi handed her, careful not to get her wet. Coco an Mimi never went into the bath with her because they were a pain to dry and wet dog stunk. She herself did not of course. She always smelled excellent.

"So, who is it?" she asked.

"Allesand Visponti, ruff!"

She shook herself out and got dressed quickly, letting Mimi and Coco slip on her hands only when she was sure she was dry.

Allesand was one of her favorite customers because he was prude enough to not really go all the way, but still heap her with cash (when sober). Today though was different. He showed up at the back door of the brothel with a scowl and a lot more cash than usual. He wouldn't come in, just stayed in outside.

"I have orders to ... acquire a bunch of demons for a scheme," he grumbled. "It's completely disgraceful to our name, but Kaisar says we have to. Can you get us some ladies that doesn't require us to buy them? Just to borrow."

My my, _borrowing_ people, what a way to phrase it. Such a foul mind below that pretty head. She imagined he'd be right up her alley if he wasn't all hung up on this pointless honor code. Alas, the poor sod's pride was all human shaped. She still liked to play along.

"Of course," she said, leaning closer and holding out her hand with Coco on it. "Plenty of girls here who could use a _break_. Will you compensate for the time lost?"

He shoved that bag of coins into the grip of Coco and Mimi, while stealing a look at her chest.

She opened it and Mimi peaked in. "All real, ruff!'

"We have a deal. How much you want? Any preferences?" Cerberus asked.

"Uh, seven? It doesn't matter much. They're just bait."

"Ooh, you must tell me all about this later," she said. "Where do I send your order?"

"I've got a few men lined up."

"Have them walk in, I'll direct them who to take. I don't want to cause a scene, got it, darling?"

Cerberus gathered about six of the less popular girls, slipping out at a man's arm, as wasn't unusual for this establishment. They behaved quite fine, she didn't even hear any yelps outside. Good. This place had a reputation to keep. This brothel was engineered for the more respectable lot who nevertheless wanted to mingle that with the lovelier side of demonkind, so it pretended to be a more wholesome establishment. A ridiculous charade in the red light district, but well, that's how some needed it to be. It got her better cash than elsewhere.

Speaking of cash, she might as well fill the order with low profit cases all the way. One knight still remained and she had an excellent candidate, but she wouldn't walk out so easily. She sent the knight out the back door to wait there.

Belphegor was one of the most gorgeous demons, yet her head was filled up with innovation and glory. What a waste of her looks. Why the owner of the place kept her around was obvious, but it didn't get the cash flowing.

Cerberus peaked into Belphegor's room, which was thick with fumes, gears and simulacrum magic. "Belphegor, join me in the alley for a moment. We have a situation."

Belphegor stood up at once, eyes wide with worry. She'd be expecting one of the lasses beaten up, or worse.

When an iron fist closed around her wrist instead and jerked her out of the door, Cerberus smiled.

"What's going on?"

"Quiet," the knight snapped. His companion pulled out a rope and tied her arms behind her back.

Belphegor's eyes met Cerberus's, tinted with that lovely look of betrayal.

"How can you?" she spat.

Cerberus flicked her ears. "I can because your room can now be filled with someone better."

"You're not worthy of—"

"Now now, quiet," Cerberus said. "I'm the _lady_ in charge here. Wouldn't want things for the lot of us to get more of a problem, right?"

No humans knew just how important Cerberus had been, and what power she had, but the demons recognized her. Belphegor would keep quiet. Cerberus wasn't sure whether that was out of respect, or whether she knew Cerberus was relevant to the future moves of the demons, but it didn't matter. Zip zip.

Once inside, Cerberus went to her room and stretched out. After taking a drink, she counted her money. Today had been a good catch. Much better than the lecherous guys she usually had to deal with. Rather, she got a prude who just wanted her to quietly help him confiscate a few ladies. That he was the leader of the Orleans Knights gave him the authority to just grab any demon he wanted, but his people frequented the red light district and they didn't want their name befouled. Pffft. This silly little pride was nothing, and Kaisar was a fool.

Perhaps she ought to send a message home though, because it looked like things were heating up.

Charioce had overthrown Cocytus, for crying out loud. The only reason that rag demon got so far is because Charioce knew how handy it was to have the people believe there was a serious need for his kind of order. Just the right amount of fear in the population to keep them from complaining about the taxes that went to all those invasions.

Cocytus had emptied out and the tribes had fled to a frozen wasteland, there were no more invasions of the demon realm needed. The occasional tribe was taken down, judging from where new slaves came from, but most attacks didn't bring in any new slaves.

She might not be a big fan of the invasion, the idea the gods were getting a hefty helping of death pleased her. After the inevitable fall of humankind, they would be left thinned out even more than after Bahamut. That would leave the demons in a better position overall. Until then, she was quite content with this easy life. She liked her scope out missions best if they let her lounge on a nice couch with plenty of food.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Outside the city, at the edge of a cliff, lay an old monastery that had been devastated in the crisis of Bahamut. All roofs had collapsed, burned down, but the tall walls still stood mostly intact. It was the the usual started point for Azazel's little excursions, the destination unusually being another church tonight. If they were gonna choose churches, they might as well have chosen his own ruin.

Someone from the red light distract had come to the slum asking around for a bunch of missing women, hoping they'd just ditched the brothels rather than worse. Ha. Usually if anyone from the red light district joined the ghetto, it wasn't in such numbers.

Hearing around some more led to word the women had been seen brought to one of the lower cliffs at the edge of the city. This one lined the living districts closely. He'd have to be careful, so he landed before crossing any lights or human sight range.

The place had a gaping window in the front with two feeble towers aside and a collapsed roof atop. The left wing had collapsed too. There was no way to get near it without crossing in the open. He ran as far as he could, ghosting along the way. The backdoor stood ajar and he slipped in.

The women were below the window, tied up sitting on the ground, surrounded by armed but unarmored slavers. He launched his knives into them instantly, only for them to fall over stiff.

Wooden dolls. Huh, a trap. See, this is why he went through a routine of pretending to note have wings, magical snakes and explosive powers. They would always be caught off guard.

... the utter lack of movements might've given away it was a trap before he attacked, but uh, it was a bit on the dark side here.

The nearest demon looked up in fear. He cut her loose and dropped the knife before her so she could free the others. He had to find out who really was behind this.

Said person conveniently just announced himself.

"Come out, Rag Demon!" came from the outside.

Oh, great. Kaisar.

Wait, ... Kaisar? Kidnapping women?

Of course, everything else was losing its standards, why not him too?

"Go to the slums," Azazel told them. "I'll distract those fools."

Paying them no more heed, he walked past to the window, set a hand of the wall and exploded it with a spell. He jumped high out of the dust for a look — a swarm of knights on horse ahead — and ran right ahead.

He teleported to avoid the arrows, and knocked the knights over once he reached them. They weren't worth killing even as he manifested his dark sword.

Kaisar was right ahead sporting his most obnoxious self righteous look of knightly determination. Azazel just couldn't resist tackling his head on. Jumping over the unicorn's head, he brought both his blades to Kaisar's head like a scissor. Kaisar caught it with his sword, so Azazel just planted his feet in his stomach.

With a glorious arch, Kaisar fell not to the side, but launched five meters through the air and rolled on the ground. The unicorn didn't even flinch, well accustomed to the madness going on its back, no doubt. Kaisar always did have a penchant for dramatic falling.

Just to keep up appearances, he attacked Kaisar and for few moments they played swords in what was slow motion for Azazel. Kaisar managed to keep up, but only because Azazel held back.

In the moment their fight broke out, the other knights surrounded them.

"Surrender, rag demon," Kaisar said in _that_ voice, his sword posed wannabe-nobly before him.

"The same guy forever," Azazel muttered. He hit away Kaisar's sword, grabbed his sword arm and twisted until the sword dropped. "Let's see whether you still fall the same way too."

Grabbing Kaisar by the cloak, he jumped over the knights in the direction of the cliff and dropped Kaisar in mid air.

He himself landed on his feet, while Kaisar tumbled down the rocks and landed face first. After groaning once, he stayed still.

Azazel ran ahead into the streets. He'd have an easier time dodging them there.

Or not.

Three roofs down, he slammed right into a giant metal hand that definitely hadn't been there two seconds ago. He crashed into the roof with the thing pushing down.

The living room he landed in was occupied by a terrified human family. They stared in fear at him, but it was the mecha's arm reaching in that threw them.

Azazel backed off out the door and ran out the other side, back onto the roofs. By now the wyvern riders had joined the ground knights. They didn't fire yet, but they would once the mecha herded him where they wanted him.

He kept running across the roofs, trying to reach the edge of the city. How far would he get before he'd have to drop his disguise and fly? They weren't enough of a threat yet, but ... no. He could do this. Some measly humans were not going to corner him into using his full powers and he wasn't going to be distracted again. Two times Jeanne d'Arc was enough.

Another mecha's sword tore through the entire roof. Azazel split just barely in time, leaping off a crumbling wall. Below, the citizens screamed as the house collapsed into itself.

What was _wrong_ with Kaisar? Why had he trained them like this?

Some of the wyvern riders veered to the tower where Mugaro kept an eye out.

No. No no _no_.

They opened fire. He heard a distant scream as the first ray seared past the tower. Another one followed right away, then another one.

"Dammit, why is he being attacked?"

He leaped off the building and unfolded his wings.

They just kept firing over and over, turning the tower full of holes and fire until it started shaking.

Azazel put all his speed behind his wings. Faster, faster, go faster!

Another fireball hit the tower, breaking through the walls. The peak started to fall and another scream scream reached him.

Almost there, almost ... there, the silhouette of a falling body against the moon. Swooping through the debris, he picked up Mugaro and shot away, further and higher into the sky.

Once there was enough of a distance, he looked down. "Mugaro, are you okay?"

Wait ... pink hair?

This _wasn't Mugaro_.

In his surprise, he lost grip and the girl fell. Reflexively he closed his hand around her wrist, but her momentum tore them further down. She wasn't awake, so she didn't hold on. He'd have to. They fell halfway to the ground before his caught the wind under his wings again. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

Her eyes opened and he snapped, "Who the hell _are_ you?"

Of all the times to be silent, she chose now.

A noise behind, he whipped his head back. The fireball seared right at him. On reflex he pulled her closer and let himself fall, barely avoiding the flames.

The next flares filled all air around them. He turned on his own axis, dodging as much as he could sense. He had to look behind to see what was coming, which didn't help his speed.

They'd catch up soon, but the wyverns would have a limit going right up with riders on their back. He sped ahead, then took a sharp angle right up into the sky.

The girl's hands dug into his cloak, she didn't do anything else. At least she was easy cargo. He fixed his eyes on the stars. If he could get above the clouds, they'd be clear soon enough.

More fireballs seared, but he kept the line straight for speed. He could take behind hit at his feet once or twice.

The girl's hands tightened and for a moment he thought she tried to push off, but ... she grew? A pink light engulfed her and disrupted his flight magic, causing them to sheer back to the ground.

They collided with a tower. He was thrown loose while the light remained behind.

When he collided with a roof several streets past the plaza, the force of impact and magic kept him in place. Numb, pained and with sudden clarity, he lay there.

The sudden lack of movement and noise hit him harder than the actual rock below. The edges of the buildings above stood out in his sharp vision, the stars beyond, the moon, and nothing else. Nobody else.

He didn't know where Mugaro was.

Why hadn't he gone looking for Mugaro? Stupid! He should have dropped her. With his hands free, he could easily take out those human flies, then find Mugaro. It'd have taken little more than a few sword strikes and the fire wouldn't hurt _him_. For crying out loud, he'd swam in Gehenna, why even bother fleeing from _fire_? For a human?

What even was that glowing pink?

Cries and deep roaring wrestled to his attention, not far away but muted through the buildings. Overhead the wyvern riders swooped right at it, only to be taken down by a ray of fire so hot, not even the wyverns could withstand it.

Oh, he had to see that.

When he tried to stand, he almost sank through his leg, but he refused Mugaro's support. He dragged himself to the roaring fight.

None of the knights at the end of the street paid him heed, caught in watching the terror before them. A split second later, Azazel saw the dragon : a massive, muscular beast on four legs with a horned crest with pink hair behind. A sharp magenta surrounded by fire and scorched corpses of both knight and wyvern.

Had she summoned that? Why only now?

Right now it tore apart a mecha like it was nothing. Little more than a minute to take everyone down who failed to retreat.

As soon as the knights were out of its sight range, the dragon reared up and turned into a pink flame. It vanished, but there was still a bright spot on the ground.

Azazel teleported closer, careful not to reappear in any fires.

She lay unconscious on her stomach, the pink hair with the uneven cut was unmistakable. The last shreds of that pink energy were still around in his demon sight. There was no mistaking this for a summoning, she herself was the dragon. Some distant tidbit from Lucifer came to mind, regarding shapeshifters. This had to be one of those rare demons.

And apparently had never learned to stay conscious or keep her clothes.

Okay, he could handle this. He took off his cloak and tossed it over her before scooping her up.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita was in the middle of a brew when someone kicked the back door.

"Rita! Dammit, open!"

Oh goody, look who was off schedule. What, had Kaisar managed to somehow get those women hurt, or had Azazel screwed up again?

Barely the door was open or he pushed in with a woman in his arms, wrapped in his cloak. Rita assumed she was a demon until he put her down on the bench, where she got a clear look at the rather neat headband that wasn't typical to demons.

She wore no clothes below the cloak. Huh. No signs of anything else either, and by all accounts this appeared to be a regular human.

Azazel was already headed for the door because of course he was going to vanish.

Rita launched a disembodied arm to shut the door.

"The hell, Rita? I have to find Mugaro now!"

"First tell me what I'm dealing with here. She has no fangs, no marks of amputation or horns. Who is this?"

"That stupid girl who kept trailing me."

"Right, start from scratch. Mugaro will be fine, he always is."

The story she pried out of him made one thing clear : he really was hopeless as a fallen angel of his reputation now. Saving Kaisar and Favaro was one thing — she'd once assumed he _meant_ it that he wanted to deal with them himself and then forgot. Now and here, he tried very hard to gloss over the part where his decision not to drop her was a thing. Good for him she turned out to be a dragon, so he could insist very loudly she must be a demon and he had just risked his sorry butt to save _a demon_ , thank you very much, not a human.

Whatever, he could sort out his pride issues on his own. More important was the dragon part.

"If she's a dragon, this probably happened before and there's nothing to worry about. Why didn't you take her to the ruins outside the city?"

"I can't have a weird dragon girl in my place!"

Rita just slightly raised an eyebrow. "Remember Amira? I'm sure there's more examples."

"That was different! She was the god key. Why is this such a problem?"

"If she transforms again, right here, I'm out of a house. Or is she dog sized?"

He grumbled, "No. She's not. Look, just keep an eye on her till. I'll pay you."

"Fine. This time, you better bring me coins. Don't wing it with that jewelry and silverware crap that I can barely sell without raising suspicion."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar woke up to loud crowing at his window. Groaning against his headache, he staggered to the window, letting in the foul reeking zombie raven. It was only the break of dawn and he'd been up all night, so he half hoped Rita had sent him one of her concoctions.

No such luck. It was a note.

A very angry note.

"Kaisar, put your knights in check. You owe me 20 gold coins for this, I had to cancel appointments."

 **· · · · · · ·**


	2. Misery

· · · · · · ·

Nina woke with her eyes on a bladed metal thing spinning above her. It hung from the ceiling and waved cool air at her. What kind of magic was that?

She lay on a table in some kind of office, with lots of bottles and herbs and weird tools in glass cabinets. On a stand near the door rested a number of very scrappy ravens. Really, the poor things looked so emaciated they might be dead. Wait ... why did their eyes glow?

"Hello."

Nina clutches the blankets closer to herself before she processed the new arrival was just a child.

The girl's expression perpetually drooped, her pale face framed with short cut black hair. She was about 10, maybe, yet wore the eye glass and robes of a doctor.

"What's your name? I'm Rita, by the way, and this is Rocky." She pointed at the figure on a nearby shelf, gathering little pots between its fingers. A hand. Just a hand, moving around like a living being. "I'm the doctor of the slums and ve's my assistant."

Well. This was going to be a very interesting letter to her mother.

 _Hi mom, a demon saved my life and I think you really weren't honest when you told me zombies didn't exist. Oh, but I guess it's true I don't have to be afraid of them. They're doctors._

 _Also, the stories about knights killing dragons were actually true. They honed in on me even before I transformed._

It would disappoint her mother so much to get a letter like that. Nina had sworn she would be safe, yet here she was, with trouble that had started without even turning into a dragon. She'd let her mother down.

Well, better not dwell too much on that.

"How did I get here?" Nina asked.

"Azazel dropped you off. Why'd the Orleans Knights attack you anyway?" Rita asked.

"I think they think I work for the rag demon. At least, that's what the blond guy accused me of before. I didn't really do anything, I was up at a tower looking for the rag demon and then they all just started firing at me. It was pretty rude. There was a girl with me too, I hope she got away. I get why everyone's very scared of demons and all, but there were people in the houses, and collapsing a tower was just overkill. I don't know what they were thinking."

Nina was just connecting the dots between the name Rita mentioned and the rag demon when Rita dove right into a sensitive topic.

"And then you shapeshifted. What are you, human mage or dragon in disguise?"

Oh dear. No avoiding this one. She might as well be honest.

"Uh, both? My mother is a human, but my father was a dragon." Nina said shifted her legs over the edge of the table. "I ... uh ... have a little trouble transforming cause of that. Real dragons are not supposed to pass out either, or lose our minds, or any of that."

"I'd like to know more, but right now I'm expecting other patients. If you can confirm nothing is out of the ordinary, do me a favor and move along."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, I'm okay. Do you have a backroom where I can wait till my clothes reappear? We have these magic subspace things that stores them, but they don't work right with me."

Rita gave a quick glance at her headband, but said nothing. "Take the storage room. Don't touch anything."

"Thank you!" Clutching the sheets, Nina hopped into the room Rita pointed out. Behind her, Rita opened the door and released a few of her ravens.

Nina sat down on a little chair in a corner near a weird metal stand thing — who put a wrench like that — and waited. After a while, another door opened. In came a much more rotting zombie. Old even when alive, with chopped off horns. Now he carried two bags of wheat stuff with supernatural ease. It had to have all sorts of extra magic to adapt, like her tribe did.

She poked the zombie in the shoulder. He smelled rather rotten, and did in fact rot, yet didn't fall apart. He also ignored her entirely and turned away, fetching more bags. Nina peaked out the door he left through, seeing the zombie vanish into an alley, leaving a small hall with three doors and a stairway. One of those doors had to be a kitchen, cause a delicious smell came from behind it.

Spirits, was she hungry. She resisted the temptation to slip into the kitchen and gorge herself. She couldn't wait for her clothes to reappear so she could go home and eat.

That took longer than usual. Last night must've been taxing.

Once her clothes were finally back, she leaned out the door. Rita was just finished with a patient, a tired looking demon lady with a sobbing child in her arms. Rita send them away with a concoction and got some rupees and a grateful, hopeless smile. A sting went through Nina.

Rita waved her in once the room was empty and held her arm out for one of her crows. "This is Charro, she will lead your way."

"Hi, Charro!" The raven crowed evenly. "Rita, before I leave, can I ask you something?"

"If you hurry it up."

"That name you mentioned before, Azazel. Is he the rag demon?"

"He is," Rita said.

Nina leaned on a nearby closet. "I don't understand. The rag demon— I mean, Azazel. Bacchus kept saying he's a bad person and everyone says demons are not even real people. They're evil and would terrorize and slaughter humankind otherwise. They're being done a favor cause this way they can be part of civilization. So why'd he bother saving me? He doesn't even like me."

"Azazel is weird," Rita said. "As for the rest of them, I've had anything from shivering kids who only come for the candy to grumpy old guys who insist the cough means nothing. Some donate. Some try to swindle. Some bring in healthy girls and then run off insisting this is logical even as she might turn into a dragon and destroy my home. The only differences with humans I've seen are physiological. Anyway, you're in touch with Bacchus?"

"You know him?"

"You could say we're friends. Does he know you're a dragon?"

"No, nobody outside my village does. At least, until last night."

"Right. Tell Bacchus and Hamsa to get their act together. Being drunk off their asses is no excuse for letting little girls pick fights with Azazel."

Nina pouted. "I'm not a little girl. I'll be 19 soon. Besides, Azazel only hurts the bad people, right?"

Rita narrow her eyes slightly while opening the door. "It seems that way. Lately. Anyway, you're ready to leave."

Nina stepped into a world of dull yellow and dying scents. All around were sandstone houses with small windows, disorganized, some built onto others. She could see over the roofs to deeper streets, but was still on the lower side of the gap. Pillars lined the lower end of massive walls all around the town.

"Are we still in the city?" Nina asked.

"Of course." Rita pointed at the edge of the gap a little to the right. A hint of the red roof tops of the city were visible there. "These are the slums. You didn't notice the hole in the city?"

Nina's seen the hole a few times, but had assumed it was a Bahamut crater now used for dumping waste or something. It was so close to the river, if the road broke it might just flood. Who would want to live there?

Rita let Charro fly and said, "Anyway, Azazel wanted to talk to you. Can you come back later, about an hour before the arena fights are announced?"

"Okay," Nina said. "Thanks for ..."

Rita had already gone inside, leaving the door open for the next patient. That one just arrived followed one of her ravens.

Nina followed Charro close to the walls, and arrived at a spiral stairway carved into the rock. Charro left her here.

The small entrance was occupied by a tough looking group of teenage demons, almost like standing guard. They gave her suspicious looks. It was probably better to pass this up, they could cause a problems — two of them were on the pretty side.

A little further was an elevator, if it could be called that. A ramshackle platform with a weak fence around just descended, while another paltform went up in tandem. A huge pale demon spun a wheel to make it move She never saw much of the demons this large around, so she asked a nearby demon in a little box hut what he was.

"A berserker," she said, tight lipped. "Say, what is a human lady such as yourself doing down here?"

"Oh ..." Nina gritted her teeth and tried to think up a non dragon explanation. "Just visiting a friend."

"Really?"

"The doctor," Nina added quickly. "She maybe dead, but she's human, technically, you know?"

"Hmm. Right. So, you want up?"

Looking around, Nina noticed the crude fence before the elevator. The demon at the lever glared at her, but it was hard to find him intimidating when he was almost as meager as Rita's undead ravens.

There was a basket next to the demon in the boot. Some potatoes were in it. Throwing money in there didn't seem like a good idea.

"Yes, I'd like up." Turning dragon in a small stairway was a bad idea. "I don't have potatoes, but I do have coins." Nina opened her pouch and dug out some coins, holding them out. The elevator master didn't take them, just stared with suspicious eyes.

At that moment, the berserker stopped turning the wheel. The second platform had finished the way down. A group of very pretty demon ladies stepped out, and one of them approached with a bag that she emptied in the basket. Potatoes, a bit of bread and an onion.

"I never saw you here before," she said when she spotted Nina. "You here to visit family too?"

"Uh, no ... I'm new."

"Oh, they just brought you in. Have you someone to show you around already?"

"Nivielle, that's a _human_ ," the elevator master said.

"Ah." The entire group averted their eyes at once and hurried away.

Nina put her coins on the reception place, stepped on the platform and avoided looking at anyone, even as she felt the eyes of the demons on her. She felt like she'd done something wrong, but couldn't place what it was.

· · · · · · ·

The sound of the ocarina drifted all the way down the broken tower. A far cry from the refined dark throne in the castles he'd once lived, these ruins were degrading ... but good enough. Mugaro was the only one who saw him here and would never care for decrepit states.

Once inside the ruins, the music surrounded him He stretched his wings and flew to the source, high above.

Mugaro stopped playing when he arrived to smile at him. Azazel laid down a bundle next to him before dropping himself flat on the stone surface. He couldn't deny being tired and his leg still hurt, but it was the first time since ages he felt a little at ease. It wouldn't just be him anymore.

The music resumed and he lay listening for a while, sunlight on him and the city before them. In his earliest years, he couldn't stand to watch the city lest it was in flames. Now he didn't mind anymore. Sure, the place was pathetic and fragile, but as he knew now, much of the demons had been too. Once they overthrew Charioce, they would use this city up until they could return to Cocytus. They'd do better then.

Once Mugaro finished the song, he gingerly picked up the bundle and made a round gesture, indicating a solar dial.

"We're going to the slums about an hour before work."

After Mugaro gave a questioning look, he said, "To recruit her, of course. That girl ... if she attacked the knights, then she's not on board with Charioce's people," Azazel said. "If we could have her on our side ..."

Mugaro's smile grew a little wider. Azazel couldn't help but do the same, even as he knew the child didn't share or know half the things this imminent victory would mean.

· · · · · · ·

Rita knocked on the backdoor of the grand white mansion, an elegant place lined with slender trees. The scent of a herb garden surrounded it and neat curtains hung open to reveal many men in the traditional coat of doctors. As a zombie, Rita was an inherent disgrace to it, and she couldn't care less.

Today was yet another symposium for the doctor's guild of Anatae. There were a lot of those since the fall of Cocytus. Most of the place was stern old men, Rita as a young girl stood out like a sour and a sore thumb. The guild understood she was she a walking corpse, of course. People on the street often just assumed she was tired or ill, the rest of the trick done by herd behavior. But a room full of folks staring at corpses regularly, all inclined to say yes, that was a corpse? Rita hadn't even tried hiding it, no point. They just tacitly ignored it. That's what one did when his king introduced a foreign species with all sorts of diseases that humans had no resistance to and a grudge to use all kinds of curses once out of their slave collars. Little details like their only arcane doctor being _female_ and _not breathing_ didn't matter when it came to preventing plagues. She'd never be seen at public events, but the guild depended on her.

Rita depended on them too. She could brew up all kinds of medicine, but mundane things like sterile bandages, sterile jars and any kind of equipment, acid, or imported herbs were so much easier to get here than in the slums.

Today's meeting was about immunity against diseases, but the side talk was from the doctors who had been called to work late this night. Some for citizens, others in service of the kingdom. The death toll from the rampaging knights and the emergence of the dragon was in the double digits. Word went the rag demon had summoned the latter, so the doctors were content to cater to popular word and talk of it like a _dragon_ incident. But in whispers behind everyone's back, they said the forbidden. The Orleans Knights had provoked this. The Orleans Knights had set up the mecha in the city. The Orleans Knights were part of a pattern : despite the presence of demons, most victims of violence had fallen at human hands. Law enforcers, even.

For a while after realizing Azazel was in the city, Rita wondered whether he still kept true to his old ways. He had once liked to drop magical artifacts to sow chaos, with a sprinkle of bloodshed to move things along. Dark artifacts were scarce nowadays, though, and he had other concerns now.

Azazel wasn't the only one who had changed. As much fingerprints now belonged to Kaisar. He had led the Orleans Knights for nearly seven years, and despite the chivalry he preached, they acted like this.

She expected him today.

As captain, Kaisar couldn't go to the slums just for fun. It wouldn't do for him to be seen there, he might look like he fraternized with the evil wiles of demons — quite illegal in this kingdom. Likewise, it would be strange for him to be seen in town with an unaging little girl. Rita and him exchanged letters to stay in touch, but sometimes they met here. He knew by now to not disturb her during discussions, so he showed up right on cue during lunch break. Anyone looked from the outside would simply consider the captain to retrieve medicine for his men or deliver pay for the services to the kingdom; nobody really thought mister goody two shoes on his shiny white unicorn came for for his own hangovers. Let alone to meet a zombie.

There was a small bench in the herb garden, where she sat with a book and waited.

Kaisar appeared right on time, striding over the pebble path. He had a pouch with him in which coins clinked.

"Rita, good to see you," he said and meant it, but there lay a frown on his face.

"Good to see you too." She let an uncomfortable silence hang as Kaisar sat next to her. He set the bag between them.

Rita let a painful minute pass, where she pretended to read and the open window above let Kaisar hear what two doctors spoke of last night's victims.

Rita honestly didn't care whom he got killed, but she couldn't stand his hypocrisy. Whenever he started about morals and the greater order of the kingdom, Rita started about people she had killed in the last two centuries. She had begun called Nebelville her kind of order and how she'd tried adding people to it before. She usually hadn't bothered with the illusion spell as much as with Kaisar, but she made sure to highlight he wasn't the only one she'd wanted to keep. People had died for her own little order too, right? Over time, Kaisar had stopped talking about justice to her. There was plenty of others thing he spoke of, but today he'd correctly guessed those weren't at order.

When Rita finally closer her book, he seemed to lose some tension. She didn't let him ease for long. "Care to explain what happened last night?"

Out came the rushing steam. "Look, Rita, what happened last night went out of hand. The rag demon knocked me out and my lieutenant got carried away. If everyone just—if he just stopped, we'd stop."

"Really, this again? Your little rampage left a lot of damage."

"Well, the rag demon was the one who unleashed that dragon! It's not like we're starting this."

"Really?" Rita gave him her deadest stare. Maybe it was time for a little test. " _Azazel_ didn't summon the dragon. There were others there who got caught up and defended themselves."

So what would be bite into?

Realization dawned on his face, then a flash of hurt as he understood that for possibly years she had kept the identity of his target a secret, then the doubt and a glimmer of pain. Kaisar had never been one to truly think through things, but after the truth about Favaro had come out, he made a point of trying to question himself before acting on his impulses. A little too much lately, for Rita's preference.

"So it was him. You're in touch with him, aren't you? Rita, why didn't you tell me?"

"Patient doctor confidentiality plus first do no harm. Which is something your knights could care to learn," she said, tapping the bag of coins. "The girl your knights nearly killed last night was a wannabe bounty hunter chasing Azazel. Just a child. Some prick set her up with a fake bracelet, now she came staggering into my place, too terrified to go to a normal doctor cause she thinks she got outlawed."

He gaped in horror, as befit to mister goody two shoes. Rita decided to lay it on thicker. "You know what that means, right? Azazel saved her. Why is the demon who once invaded Anatae and mowed down its knights now protecting its citizens _from its knights_?"

Kaisar pressed his lips tightly together. Not stubborness, she knew that by now. Doubt. Too bad he didn't _do_ anything with it.

"Why are you telling me about Azazel now?"

"To see what you do with that knowledge. I'm getting pretty worried for my role in this empire that so hates the darkness. If you backstab me, I want to read the book before the spell leads the beasts to my door."

"Rita, I won't betray you."

"Maybe for now, but you once were someone who was quite vocally against abduction of innocent women. Yet last night, I got a scared human girl and the demon women you abducted over my floor. You've been compromising more and more over the years. When will you decide hat Charioce's right about his laws against humans using the dark arts? Can't be darker than a living corpse sustained by the powers of hell."

Kaisar took a knee at her side. "Rita, you are my friend. No matter what happens, I will not let you be killed, or even jailed or otherwise punished."

He looked so disgustingly sincere and noble, Rita kicked his boot.

"Stop giving me those eyes, you're making me nauseous."

He gave a fond smile at that and stood straight. "Anyway, if should see that bounty hunter girl again, please offer her my apologies."

"Are you kidding me? No. Do it yourself," Rita said. She flipped her book open.

Kaisar didn't take the hint to leave.

"Anything else?"

"Can you tell me where to meet Azazel?"

"He doesn't come around to my place at regular intervals," she said.

"Please, Rita. I have to talk to him. We had five wyverns in the sky, if he took such a risk to protect that girl, then maybe he's different now. Maybe I can reason with him."

Ha. He really didn't see how that would come across after last night, did he? He ought to be talking to those riding those wyverns.

Still, why not humor his imminent failure? See where that got Azazel and Kaisar.

"The mansion of the Resonvuá nobles," she said. "We got some records from the guards, they've been importing an unusual amount of slaves, despite having visible few on their lands. Be there two days from now, during the night. He won't be punctual."

Azazel was a complete klutz when it came to things like nuance, finesse and intel. He got his information on where slaves were mistreated from those who escaped, mostly. Mugaro also had a knack for sniffing out where suffering went on. Then, Rita occassionally sent a zombie bird or rat around. She fed her information to Azazel in doses, so he wasn't all over the place every single night to the point of exhaustion. He wouldn't like that he might save more, but she didn't care. Her interests were strictly based on how close someone was to her.

Kaisar and Azazel would both disagree, nowadays, so why bother talking to either about that? People only ever followed their own sense of justice. Rita had been too young to ever let her own sense grow. It had rotted away along with her village. The best she could do the rest of the filth around her didn't rot away entirely either.

Sometimes the filth needed to sort their problems out for that to happen.

· · · · · · ·

Nina had not been late to work before, so her story about getting knocked out by debris during an every walk was easily taken. She spent the remaining hours working, during which it became clear that last night's events didn't match what people were told by the Orleans Knights. The Rag Demon was the pure villain, blamed for every single death last night. Nina's throat tightened up more and more. Any prior day she would've joined the talks about how wicked he was and promise to take him down. It felt wrong now.

More so as she saw the enslaved demons working so close by. Demons weren't allowed to do anything but hard labor, so they didn't appear in shops or on the streets. Demons were too aggressive for that, which some business owners complained about cause they were cheaper. Laborers were glad for it, cause they couldn't be exchanged for cheaper labor.

How many of these demons were actually kind people? Did it even matter?

All this was strange to Nina; none of this economic stuff was a thing in her poor village. She ought to have asked the men who had and returned, but there hadn't been any when she headed out, and she didn't want to wait much longer. Favaro had said there weren't much bounties anymore, she didn't want to arrive only for there to be none left. Now she didn't want to anymore.

All things considered, she was pretty sure she wanted to talk to Azazel as much as vice versa.

After work was done, she docked her pay and went right for the slums, gorging down some food she bought on the way. She ran down the stairs this time for speed, which didn't serve her in the end : she got completely lost on the way to Rita's place.

Oh well. She'd just run all over till she found it.

That street? Nope.

This street? Nah, it had a plaza at the end.

This one maybe? Almost, but not quite.

"Hey, you!"

She ignored it the first time, assuming it was meant for someone else.

"Dammit, stop already!"

Huh, that was the same voice even though she was five streets further now.

"Will you quit running around?"

She braced to a halt, just to see a man racing at her who now had to veer out of the way. He did that by jumping over her.

"Dammit!" He turned and stood straight, a fierce scowl on his face. "I can't take out my wings in the bright open, you fool! Do you think this funny?"

Wait. Wasn't that ... ? White skin, white hair, asymmetric black horns, same smooth features, very hot, going to turn into a dragon now—

Nina whirled around, facing the lovely and amazingly detailed, thorougly boring sandstone wall. Spirits, look at that sand, being stuck all together in a sandy way.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

He grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her back around. Nina averted her eyes from his dangerously pretty face, landing on a girl behind him.

A child only a little taller than Rita, also with black hair, but a world of difference. Waving hair that ended in curls, fancy coat and a sweet smile. What a weird companion to the sneering demon who was _entirely too close_.

"Are you deaf or what?"

"Yes. I mean no," she said, not making eye contact. "Sure. Right. Rita said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Join me."

For a mad moment her mind suggested he wanted her to join him on in a very specific way — by the spirits, why did he have to wear a tight shirt like that? She couldn't even pretend to look in his general eye direction.

"Uh ... " And there the rising blush was, with the threat of dragon incoming. You know those button's on the girl's coat were really nice. The rest didn't really look right on her, though. "Join you for what?"

"We need your power to overthrow Charioce."

Oooooh. That was it. Okay. He wasn't leaning in so close for other reasons. He was just very passionate against the king.

"What do you mean? What for?"

"Tch. Fine. Come along and I'll show you."

He walked away. The girl smiled at Nina and tugged at her arm, which was a lot more welcome as an invitation.

"Hi, I'm Nina. Who are you?" she asked.

The girl gave an apologetic smile and just moved away.

Azazel led her down to the very bottom of the slums. The sun barely reached here and it was colder than above. After passing a bridge, he slowed down.

The sides of the streets were lined with emaciated demons in rags. A metal barrel with fire stood on the right, poorly constructed tents to the left. The demons watched them with hollow eyes, curious about her, while others stared at Azazel in particular. She heard his name said in reverence once, but another spat his name under his breath and looked away.

Nina walked closer to him, talking in a low voice. "So, you've been killing bad people for a while now. Are these are all people whom you saved?"

"Not all of them, and this isn't nearly enough," he said. "It won't be enough until humankind falls."

"Do you hate humans?" she asked, not sure whether she wanted to ask _all_ humans.

"Haha, yes, I hate them a lot," he said. "It should be clear why, and it's all that man's work."

"Charioce XVII, right?" Nina said. "The people ... the ones up in the city say he brought humankind welfare and prosperity."

"He brought them the power to build their prosperity on our backs," Azazel spat. "Five years ago, Charioce destroyed the capital of hell, Cocytus. He abducted its citizens and enslaved them on earth. I cannot bear all this prosperity built with the sacrifice of the demon clan."

They'd reached the end of the street and he faced her, looked determined, scornful, and terribly hot. She raised her hands, squeezing her eyes shut. Tiny street, bad place to transform.

He just kept watching her with an odd look. Oh no, he thought she was weird, didn't he? He did.

Her eyes fell on the girl with him, who had moved ahead. She approached a tent below which was a large steel pot. Now she had a closer look, Nina recognized the zombie from Rita's place, who stood next to it stoking the fire.

Rita stepped out from behind him and the pot, eyes on the girl. She paused when she saw Nina, then just said, "Hey. Wanna help passing out food?"

The girl opened a package and took out small beige dough like things. She waved at Nina to join her as she carefully laid them in the boiling water.

"What's this?" Nina asked.

"Food gathering, which I plan to use for getting some more people immunized against human diseases," Rita said.

Demons from all around gathered near the pot. Rita explained that in exchange for food, they should get a shot. It drew a lot of displeased murmurs, but nobody made a fuss about it. They lined up while Rita prepared her needles.

Azazel didn't join them. He seemed miffed at Rita for interrupting, but he could wait. He didn't even ask her name, so she didn't feel bad about leaving him hanging.

In the boiling pot, the tiny dough balls glowed in an odd yellow hue as they swelled up to a bread smelling of herbs. Using a scoop, the girl took the first one out and replaced it with another. Nina wrapped it in a little paper towel and handed it to the first demon to pass after getting a shot. "Here you go!"

As the line passed, Nina began to see the differences within them when before, she'd have only described them as having horns and odd skin colors. Long faces, rounded faces, small noses, thick ears, receding hairlines, sagging, bright or sunken eyes. Some missed teeth and other kept their lips pressed in mistrust at Nina. Some had straight hair, curly hair, some rounded backs, slender arms or bent knees. Their expression was often tired and hungry, all faces soon disappearing in the tasty bread. As time went on, they began to respond to her cheer with thanks more often, the unease at her presence ebbing away. They could smile just as beautifully as humans and dragonfolk could. The horns and skin colors now seemed such a silly thin to have given priority to.

There were still people left by the time the package ran out. Having to turn them away tore down Nina's cheer along with theirs. Her village had been poor, but it hadn't been this bad. She apologized once, twice, then slipped away. She did want to do something for them, but just joining Azazel? Just join a revolution? She wasn't sure she was ready — no, she knew she wasn't ready. She couldn't even control her dragon form.

Azazel leaned on a corner, in the shadows. Nina approach from the side, eyes fixed elsewhere, and asked, "Your friend doesn't talk to me. Did I do something wrong?"

"When I found Mugaro, they had scorched shut a collar around his neck. He wasn't one of those demons who regenerate quickly, so he lost his vocal chords. That's not uncommon for slave merchants to botch."

Huh, a boy? That didn't feel right.

"When we restore Cocytus, none of this will matter anymore. We'll have our old magic back and the sages will return his voice. Do you get it now, why I need your power? So we can undo all of this!"

He was almost trembling in rage. Nina took a step aside. "I agree this here is really bad, but—"

"But what? How many slaver houses have you followed me to? Don't you know what's going on inside? They tear off the wings by hanging them on hooks and pulling, then pulling them down by their feet. They kill all but the strongest this way," he said. "They sell for the best price and then they bring in more."

"Huh?"

"They are wiping us out and using the scraps to build their kingdom! Our home, our culture, everything they have destroyed to build their own atop. But not for much longer. I _will_ restore the demon tribe to its rightful place, and for that I need to lay waste to the foundations of our enemy." He grabbed her by the shoulder with his blackened hand. "And you have that power!"

"No I dont!" she squeaked, looking away. Power meant control.

"Liar! I saw you tear down the knights of Charioce!" He started shaking her with both hands.

Nina squeezed her eyes shut. "Stop it, I can't just turn into a dragon! Let me go!"

"Shut! You're clearly a demon, so help us with your power!"

"No! I don't even know how—"

He leaned in now and snapped, "You don't understand?"

Those eyes would be very nice if he wasn't so hateful. She was sure that if he wasn't being such a colossal jerk, she'd have transformed already. "No, I don't! What am I supposed to do as a dragon that you can't? I can't even fly!"

"Don't bullshit me! Just do as I sa—"

A hand launched at him from the left and Azazel sailed away. When he landed he rolled over his head several times, before planting face first into the sand. His legs fell down with a profound plop.

A floating undead arm shot back to its owner.

"Rita!" Nina quickly rushed behind the doctor.

"You're supposed to be the rag demon, not the perv demon," Rita said.

"Stupid zombie girl," Azazel muttered from below the sand.

"Get to work already," Rita said. "If you're acting like this, I don't need you here."

Azazel got up and wiped the sand from his mouth. "I'm _not_ giving up."

Still, he did as Rita said and marched off. Mugaro threw Nina a smile before following him.

Only now Nina relaxed.

What a jerk. He might be eye candy, but the attitude really put a damper on it.

"You okay?" Rita asked.

"Yeah, I'm a little shaken, literary, but ... " Not a dragon. For those few moments from behind Rita, she'd been able to look at him without the pulse of transformation.

Wow. That really sucked. The only way she could be around pretty guys was if they were such colossal jerks it overrode her attraction? So much for ever getting married.

Rita whistled for one of her ravens to lead Nina back out.

When Nina arrived at the final stairway up, the large demon at the elevator barked out. "Hey, you, get over here."

Before she got a question out, the woman from from the box stepped out and pushed the coins from before in her hands. "Take these back."

"Why? What's wrong with them?"

"I can't exchange gold coins for food, they'll think I stole it! Demons are only allowed copper coins."

"Oh ... I'm sorry. Not silver either?" The elevator master shook her head. "I don't have others types. What can I give you instead?"

"Humans ride for free," she said, and it didn't sound like a favor. It sounded like she wanted her to take the stairs and leave.

"I'm not ... " But she was close enough, right? Even if she hadn't been half human, she could walk around and be accepted. Be paid and buy whatever food she wanted. "I'll bring you some food next time to pay for my former, okay? What would you like?"

The demon stared baffled at her, opening her mouth once before looking back at the other.

"Could be a trick," he said.

She seemed to consider that, but finally said. "I uh ... we always wanted to try those sweet smelling spiral things from the ... what's it called, bakers?"

"A bag of cinnamon rolls for you and your friend coming next time I drop by!"

She took the stairs.

· · · · · · ·

El bent over the book at the heavy table, straining his eyes in the half dark to read the orders. He wasn't really good at reading, having had only about four years practice with sand and sticks, but it was better than Azazel. He flat out refused to even learn to read human language.

Words were better to focus on than the rest of this room anyway. It was a dank place filled with the scent of blood and fire, countless jars with oils and vinegar, and too much price tags. Outside were the hollers and cheers of the crowds, drowning out the death fights that would soon fill the funerary chambers with bodies. There were no doctors here, nobody cared for a defeated demon to survive. Everyone only had one chance.

Azazel finally came in with the cart, four bodies on it. Two of them still lived. El ached to release them of their misery, but knew he wasn't allowed yet. The notebook's had extra instructions today.

The demon funerary business was a messy deal. Sometimes rich people wanted trophies of a long running favorite who had finally been defeated, other times a seller of bogus medicine wanted material. The manager of the arena was happy to oblige. Today the order was for a liver, a skull and all femurs they could get their hands on. The fangs were to be removed from the other skulls, and the eyes dropped in jars.

El had a crudely drawn chart to point what Azazel was to harvest. He held it up, but his eyes were fixed on the suffering demons.

"All femurs. Damn that filth," Azazel spat. "Mugaro, get in position."

They had a system for orders like this. Since El's power evaporated the body and dulled pain in the final moment, Azazel could amputate limbs without too much suffering, which detached it from the field.

El kept his hood low and bent forward.

His kiss brought the death of gods, something he had discovered long ago in the forests when consoling a dying deer. It was not the power he wished to have, but it was what he had. Given a choice, any demon felled in the arena would be released of their misery this way.

A clang sounded in the hallway. El tensed up, hoping none of the guards came in.

"It's okay," Azazel said, snapping his fingers to set the oven alight. Then he his back towards El, concealing the work as he defleshed the legs.

El sat on the cart with the other survivor and gently strokes his head, offering what little comfort he could. He wanted his voice back, so he could promise it would end soon and that one day their people would be freed. Oh, if only he could talk to Azazel and they could make a plan ... maybe they could take on Charioce even here. Maybe. It was only wishful thinking. El knew his limits, and Azazel's.

Maybe Nina could help, though. Maybe he would tell her about his full power. She had a kind heart, he was never wrong about that.

"Ready?" Two of Azazel's arcane serpents manifested. El changed position to end things, then turned away as the sound of scraping flesh renewed.

He went back to the notebook and recorded, focusing on the strokes of the brush and endlessly wishing for things to change. Azazel occasionally cursed under his breath. This time though, it wasn't just about Charioce. Nina had vexed him with her apparent refusal.

El didn't take it as hard. He understood all too well the dangers of revealing unusual powers to the human kingdom, especially untested ones. His own had been hidden carefully ever since he'd lost his mother, even the kiss of death. While most humans and demons had no idea what a dying god looked like, Charioce and his soldiers probably did. They had hunted gods after all. It would be dangerous to see El do this. For all the guards knew, they burned the corpses with dark fire here.

Granted, it would be a huge stretch for anyone to find out. Azazel sure hadn't figured it out, and would never get the idea that Nina might have similar fears.

Azazel was dear to El, but he had to admit, also just a little bit on the stupid side. He'd been one of the gods and yet it never really clicked concerning El's kiss of death, no matter how much golden shine he saw. He thought El just had a special talent. He also looked at a weredragon and assumed there must be demon blood, as opposed to the obvious answer of weredragon. He might just do something stupid if he knew of El's powers, but if El was honest, the real reason he hadn't told him was that he couldn't control it enough. Something was missing.

· · · · · · ·

Charioce watched the captain of the Onyx Knights move out, but didn't get up as soon as he was out. For the first time in years, he was not as in control as he had to be.

The appearance of the dragon changed everything.

Beforehand, Charioce had been content to let Kaisar chase the rag demon without catching him. A little fear in the hearts of the population was good for maintaining why his reign was needed. He was mortal, despite everything. A poisoned dish, a collapsing economy, a rebellion where humans and demons joined ... there were enough factors to humankind that he had to be cautious. Now caution required something else.

He always suspected Kaisar would fail to capture the rag demon. That wasn't the point. Now he wanted to provoke something, because it stood out more than a little over the years that the rag demon spared Kaisar. So hence forth, his truly loyal Onyx Knights would trail Kaisar.

His thoughts shifted back to Jeanne and how much easier things would be with her at his side. She was the glimmer of one thing he could not truly control, a power he himself could never wield or control by sheer force. Faith, that which she represented. If she could sway the faith of the people to him, he might have acted sooner against the rag demon, and the rag demon would have summoned that thing earlier. Now, so close to the walls breaking, he could not afford problems like this.

· · · · · · ·

Belphegor hadn't had much choices in her life. Humankind gave her even less options than hell had, and now those options were in the trash.

Literary. Half of it broken. With dog hairs on it.

The renowned Cerberus and her dubious power abalance with the pimp had seemed an assurance at first she'd be in a decent place, but that was shot to heaven now.

She searched everything she could out of the trash. Whole, separate, broken to pieces. Didn't matter. There'd be way to get it all back together. She'd have to make several trips, still, if she didn't want to break anything further by throwing it all in a single sack. Super strength didn't do much for glass.

Mimi peaked out of the door. "Oh, ruff, we thought you weren't coming back!"

"I'm just here for my things," she sneered. "Thanks so much for not making me walk up there."

This was embarrassing, but Belphegor knew plenty of that from hell too, and she was pissed enough to stop caring for her pride.

· · · · · · ·

Rita's sources were on point, as always. Azazel raced for the mansion, ghosted through the walls and traced the scent of demon blood.

There were no servants anywhere, they'd been sent clear for the human's playtime.

Drunk laughter echoed through the upper level. He ghosted into the room without being noticed. Three men stood with their backs to him, talking of the quality of the wine of all things. Another man wandered into an adjacent, where a circle of four chairs stood. Within this circle were four demon women on their knees, covered in fresh cuts and with ball chains on their legs. The scene was sickeningly familiar. Some humans considered themselves above carnal desires and had convoluted explanations for how their slave driven circle jerk was more sophisticated. Some likes to combine it with bloodshed. Either way, torture. Tonight, he would draw out the deaths.

One of the women noticed him. He laid a finger over his mouth. Quiet now. It'd be over soon, but he wanted to be in control of how exactly they went down.

He ghosted right behind the middle man and pulled him back, spine right into his knife. The other two turned with screams. Azazel tipped his prey's mask off, and let them see the death come to his eyes.

The fourth man staggered out of the other room and launched for the door, only to be caught by Azazel and dragged back. Running his blade horizontal over this one's stomach, gutting him.

Two left. The next one he stabbed over and over, not yet where it would kill him. Low in the lungs, next in the liver, to the side of the intestines. The last one had to watch and know what came.

When he finally dropped the corpse, he let the last one beg for his life before shifting behind him. Just as he was about to drive his blade into his shoulder, the servant door burst open.

"Stop!"

What? Kaisar?

How on earth had he gotten here in time? ... didn't matter.

While Kaisar caught his breath, Azazel's prey begged for his worthless life. Azazel let him have it for now, more interested in Kaisar now.

Kaisar didn't draw his sword, instead said, "I know you. I'm not here to fight, but to stop you. Summoning that dragon snapped Charioce's patience, he took me off the charge of finding you and passed it to the Onyx Knights. Hurry up and get out of the city!"

"You're worried for my life?" Azazel asked, slow and a little amused. "What a splendid person you've become."

Kaisar stood straight and gave a sideway glance at the corpses, before saying, "Will the humans you just killed help what you demons want?"

Azazel slowly drove the knife into his prey's neck, letting them cringe and gurgle before dropping him. All along, he kept his eye fixed on Kaisar.

"Y-you ... damn you!" Oh, this is who Kaisar felt for? Not so splendid.

"Seeing this situation, you dare tell me to leave?"

Only now did Kaisar have a look around. Jars with fetuses ripped from wombs, books made from demon skin, displays of petrified, skinned corpses. On the table in the room lay blood covered torture tools, along with the skinned remnants of their latest victim.

"This ... " Kaisar approached, but stopped when he heard the sounds from the other room. The women there looked up at him, fear in their eyes. It dawned on him what they were, because now Kaisar froze in horror.

"Between the filth I just gutted and these harmless demons, who deserved to be killed?"

Kaisar struggled to get his bearing back, and didn't put it to good use. "You could have just set the demons free. I know how powerful you are, it would be no problem for you."

"And then these humans would have bought new demons to abuse, just as they bought new ones when those died." He tapped a glass on the shelf, in which eyeballs drifted. "Your knightly chivalry does not count the lives of demons?"

Kaisar said nothing, and Azazel lost his patience. He grabbed Kaisar by the collar and floated off the ground, just enough to hurt him if he struggled loose. He set the blade at Kaisar's throat.

"Let Charioce be impatient. I will kill as many as I have to, until your people have only regret for what you've done to mine."

"You're making a mistake. Hate always leads to more hate. This isn't the right way to help you people!" Kaisar said.

So disgusting and pathetic.

"Hmm. Tell me, where were you during the invasion of Cocytus?" Azazel said.

"Here. The Orleans Knights defend Anat—"

"And where are you every time a demon is ripped from the refugee villages?"

"Here ... we—"

"Where are you when my people are dissected, tortured, raped and killed in your city?"

There was nothing right Kaisar could say to that and was at least wise enough to know it. Azazel threw him to the ground, at the edge of the other room.

Passing him, grabbed the first chain and crunched it in his claw, then kicked the ball at Kaisar. "Why don't you tell them they're wrong to want their tormentors to die?"

Kaisar still said nothing. Azazel grabbed Kaisar by the neck, digging his fingers in to make him look up, but stay on his knees. "Tell them how they should die here because you don't want more hatred!"

"Please, stop this," one of the women said. "Just let us go."

Azazel stood straight and without another word, removed the rest of the chains.

"Grab some shifts from their closets," Azazel said. "Make sure to cover your collars."

Kaisar kept his eyes down all along. Azazel kicked him to get his attention. "Be a knight for once and lead them to the slums. I'll pass your regards to your onyx friends."

He ghosted out of the room, no longer caring for what that lowlife might say.

· · · · · · ·

El waited on one of the towers central the city, the sense he had no name for keeping track of Azazel's whereabouts. He knew where he'd gone, had an idea when he'd be back, and what to expect. Tonight, for the first time in two years, he sensed other movement too near. Familiar, and dangerous.

The first time he'd encountered them, he hadn't know just how dangerous they were. They presence was almost always within Anatae, centered around the heart in the palace. Now it prickled up his spine to realize they headed towards Azazel.

The shiver wouldn't leave his limbs, but he made himself move. For two years he had not needed to go all out with his power, had remained safe, but always had known it wouldn't last. Now might be the time for risks, and he would step up. Whether it'd be enough, whether he'd even stay awake long enough to make a difference, those concerns he cast aside.

El dropped down the tower and floated to the bottom. Using his legs and lack of weight, he leaped through the streets. Flying didn't really work without wings and going full out with telekinesis made him stand out too much, but he had to be fast. They were closing in.

He heard and sensed the battle before he arrived; the familiar sharp magic of Azazel versus the droning, oppressive radiance of their enemy. The countless streets and buildings didn't pass fast enough. He took a risk and raised his power, throwing himself to the roofs to continue jumping from there.

Just as El arrived at the end of the street, Azazel drove a blade into the eyes of one of the black knights, before ghosting through the remainder of the gather. In the dark they were little more than green lights and a blur of purple below. Azazel took a jump to strike at the captain, only to be caught in a spiked green sphere of magic. His screams echoed through the buildings as they forced him through his knees. He could only curse them out before losing consciousness.

The captain approach his prone form, blade drawn.

All hesitation died, and fear was exiled to the back of his mind. His mother was gone, he didn't even know whether she had survived them. _They wouldn't take Azazel too_.

El took a leap and let all of his power go. His left eye coursed as if coming alive and golden radiance surrounded him. He could feel everything through it, the stones, the forbidden green power, and Azazel. Those infernal green stone he forced to extinguish, while finding full power allowed him to cancel out weight for Azazel too.

While the knights collapsed on the the weight of the unnatural armors, El lifted Azazel as careful as he could. Azazel didn't wake, but El stayed awake, unlike before. Good. He could take him away yet.

Floating, he crossed several streets before the strain of his power began to creep in. His grip on the armors remained yet, but wouldn't help if he passed out too nearby. He needed help.

Nearby, a demon moved through the streets. Maybe ...

Just a little further. El descended on a roof and watched her slip through the streets under the weight of a stuffed backback. She was strong enough, but more importantly, kind. He was never wrong about this.

He took Azazel to an alley where she would pass and laid him there, then shut down all his power. Just as she passed by, he stepped from the alley and waved at her to come.

Curious and suspicious, she took a few steps in his direction.

El pointed her at the slumped figure.

"The rag demon?" She seemed stunned, but that quickly was replaced with concern. She shot to his side. "What happened?"

El gestured at his throat with an apologetic smile.

"Right. Can you do something for me?" She took the backback off and removed a few heavier things that she hid behind a trash can. "Please take this to the slums. I have to get him out of here as soon as possible. You're not wanted, right? He is."

She sounded like she felt she had to explain why she left him, so he gave her an assuring smile and took the backpack and nodded. He'd be happy to do something for her if she helped Azazel.

She lifted Azazel in her arms, and took a look at El. "I'll take him to the doctor that lives in the slums, do you know where that is?"

El nodded. She took off, fast enough to matter.

At a much slower pace, El started the journey after them, and the fight against blacking out. He'd lasted much longer then before. Maybe one day he'd be strong enough to take them all down.

For now, Azazel would be safe. He just had to make it to Rita's place to be reunited. He was still here, he hadn't failed him, like he had his mother.

· · · · · · ·


	3. Charity

**· · · · · · ·**

Belphegor slipped back into the underground, careful with her backpack. The child had taken a while, clearly tired, but nothing of her things were damaged. She unpacked as quickly as she could while trying to sort out what had just happened.

The rag demon had been injured by the telltale wounds of those armed with the infernal green rocks — blood seeping through clothing despite the lack of cuts. Charioce had designed the magic to make skin tears, burst and even melt. She could only imagine what he must look like below those rags. The idea to return to the little zombie doctor and check up already had to be dismissed; Belphegor had to retrieve the rest of her tools before trash was clear at dawn. She would not be able to do anything for him anyway, except perhaps pay the doctor, but that could be done later.

Once the backpack was empty, she darted out again. At the last door, she met Dante and Eligos just as they returned. They had two strangers with them, indicating a recruiting gone well.

"Belphegor, the guards said you too much longer to return this time. Something happen?" Dante asked.

"I ran into an injured demon and helped him. I'll tell you the rest later," she said. Eligos already had the sparkle of interest in his eyes are a new potential recruit, if she told him about the rag demon now he wouldn't let her go until she'd gotten them to meet.

She made her way back up the nearest stairs as quickly as she could, only to stop when she heard noises. Typically demons only went up the stairs for the rare places they were allowed to work, and that was never at night.

A group of about four came down, carrying with them the scent of blood and the radiance of slave collars. First she saw a woman covered in cut wounds and with slave collar on her neck, who froze when she noticed Belphegor.

Belphegor held up her hands. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. How did you escape?"

She nodded. "The rag demon killed our master. We had to go here, he said."

Belphegor felt a smile creep on her face at the mentioned of their savior. "If you need to hide, come into the underground. The trackers won't ..."

The front woman shook her head, putting a finger on her mouth and nodding back.

Now Belphegor saw the others. Three more demons come down the stairs and at the top stood ... what ... _who_?

He didn't notice her as he helped the last of the women step over the rocky entrance of the stairs.

What on earth was _the captain of the Orleans Knights_ doing here? She'd only seen him briefly before, but there was no mistaking him. Not with that hair and the silver pins in it.

"Careful now," he said as the woman let go of his hand. One of the others caught her as she staggered on the uneven steps. The scene was altogether the height of absurdity, when this man had guarded and perpetrated the their enemy's system for so long.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Belphegor whispered to the first woman, unable to keep the hiss out of her voice.

"The rag demon made him escort us. There were other knights he had to deal with, I think. The rag demon, I mean."

Oh, that made sense. Naturally that coward would be afraid of someone so powerful. Kaisar Lidfard had a reputation of rule book dog, always surrounded by his knights. He might crack alone. Still, that raised so many questions. Why had he been alone? Was this a trap to see where they'd be taken?

The captain noticed her now, eyes squinting against the dark.

"Miss? Could you perhaps take care of these ladies further? I'm afraid I don't know my way around the slums, and they would prefer not see me down there anyway." Hell, he sounded so deceptively _courteous_.

"Yes, I can. Better than you, _captain_ ," she spat.

His eyes widened a little, but she didn't care to find out whether he'd recognized her voice.

"Follow me, please. Your wounds have to be tended to and there's a good doctor here." She'd just dig into her pocket a little if she had to cover multiple doctor bills. She could sell something, perhaps. There was plenty yet in the junk she would retrieve that was worth a little.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 _"The holy child appeared to save him."_

The rag demon, saved by the holy child? Charioce had defied heaven and hell, now heaven and hell allied against him. What next, the denizens of earth too?

Perhaps that dragon counted as much for that already.

It didn't matter, he would bring them all down until only one woman was standing. Given her resolve, even then she would not bow. For now, he'd see whether he could at least get the rag demon on his knees, and perhaps in the same breath lure in both the holy child and the dragon.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita's table and morning sunlight shouldn't feel familiar to a denizen of hell. For him, familiarity had been centuries of a castle, throne, stellar food and a torture hall. How quickly that had all gone.

"Why was I saved?" he asked.

"I can only presume someone liked you. As for _how_ , Mugaro called over a bypassing demon who passed by brought you here, you were already passed out," Rita said. "You know, if you're keeping up the frequency you occupy my table, I suppose I should set up a separate bed somewhere."

"I can take the floor."

"You can take the floor in the side room once I get a bed there. Stay here for now, I'm taking those appointments outside."

She left.

Mugaro lay asleep on the couch to his left, peaceful and tucked under his coat.

Maybe he had done something ... "Nah, ridiculous."

If Mugaro had any kind of power beyond his passive death kiss, he'd have escaped on his own, right?

Azazel had found him in a slaver's den. After slaughtering all the humans, he'd waited for the demon children to get out. Just as he'd walked away, someone has grabbed his cloak. Mugaro had been on the ground, unable to walk or talk, clutching his cloak. He was weaker than any of the others, on the brink of death.

Yet he'd managed to smile at Azazel.

He'd taken him along, which wasn't unusual in itself — not by that time anymore, at least — and brought him to Rita. That would've been it, but it wasn't.

The door opened, but it wasn't Rita. In came a demon lady with dark purple hair, long brown horns on her forehead and ears to match.

"Well met. I am Belphegor, lord Azazel," she said. "Miss Rita was kind enough to let me see you."

"Hmmph."

"I wished to thank you for saving us the other night. Honestly, I'm so surprised to learn it was you."

"Don't tell anyone I'm the rag demon, got it?"

"If you do not wish so, I won't." A silence fell that he didn't fill. "Begging your pardon, why do you do this? Would it not be better to join the rebellion?"

He looked at her now, finding adoration and slight confusion on her face.

"And hang out underground, doing almost nothing? I'm sending a message," he said. Until he got that dragon on his side. "Why were you in the city tonight?"

"To retrieve some of my things. I won't go back to the red light distract." She paused and bit her lip. "May I ask, ... last night ... did you send the captain of the knights to escort those women?"

"Ha. Sounds like he finally made himself useful."

"You really know him?"

"Indeed. I got him and his friend's lousy father on their way to the grave," he said. "The Orleans captain is pathetic, but if you play him right he can be useful. Or entertaining."

"Oh."

Her look faltered a little, but the smile returned soon. Sometime in the past years, by need through Mugaro, Azazel had learned to read expressions far better. Just not what was behind them, exactly. What bothered her he could not guess, and it occurred to him demons might be as much of a curiosity as humans alone had once seemed.

His other mystery stirred under the coat.

"If you're staying, get some hot milk for Mugaro. He'll wake up soon."

She looked stunned for a second, during which Azazel felt the pride of hell sink. Him, attached to a nobody child? He couldn't even resent that fact. Mugaro was the one good thing to enter his life since the fall of Cocytus.

This time Belphegor smiled brighter. "Of course, gladly, lord Azazel."

Oh, no this one was going to stick around too, wasn't she? Like he needed more attachments? It wasn't even Mugaro alone. He was on working terms with Rita, Kaisar for some ungodly reason cared for his survival, and now he had a medium tier demon getting sappy on him for distinctly undemonic reasons. He could already imagine the inevitable anecdotes in Lucifer's personal records.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Good day, Marcio, and to you too, Emeline! Marcio, may I have a bag of cinnamon rolls, please? Make it twelve."

"Sure thing, Nina. You don't normally drop by at this time," Marcio said as he handed her the bag. "Celebrating something?"

"No, it's more like an apology gift," she said with a grin. "I was a bit rude about something."

"You? I can't imagine."

She could, now.

There was a graveyard of the poor shortly outside the slums. As Nina passed by, she spotted a wailing line of people. They gathered around a cheap coffin as it was lowered into the ground. On the surface lay a flag with unicorn emblem.

The man had been a knight. If he had died recently, it may just have been her doing. She swallowed a lump.

A little girl stood there, sobbing quietly. Nina's hearing was sharper than a human's, she could pick up the words. "Daddy, come back."

Nina's heart seemed to freeze and in flooded a memory.

Bahamut towering in the distance sky, all the rains of fire to the earth as thousands died. In her worst nightmares, she was the dragon.

She had been the dragon who incinerated just last night.

The girl sobbed for her father again.

The pulse in her body thickened. Too late. Unlike arousal, distraction didn't cancel this kind. The muscles tensed under her skin involuntarily and the early drops of fire filled her veins.

She ran off, straight into the bushes.

Her head started to hurt as the pink glow crawled out of her skin. Horns broke and the haze in her mind threatened to take over. She would've dropped the bag she clutched in her arms, but didn't want to risk flaring out her transformation too soon. The nails in her skin were just a little of a distraction, almost drawing blood.

When would the bushes end? More, more, ... more ... she collided with a wall, made a dent in it, and half broke it as she plowed on. She was taller already, and her skin began to sliver.

There was the river at last.

In the final stage the power negated her weight — an necesary superpower to prevent implosion of the shapeshifting bones — and she could jump as far as she wanted.

Pink engulfed her, and that was the last she remembered of the day.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The water was restless today, Charioce noted with the same detachment as he took in everything. Last times it had been restless, his little project had been the cause. He'd have to ask about it's status again, even as knowing did little. It was for the better though. He'd have a concrete reason to visit the island.

This day, the warrior in gold was not here. Charioce descended the stairway into the dungeon alone.

As always, Jeanne was on her knees in prayer. She hadn't grown tinner anymore, her limits of this life reached months ago.

"You look rather worn out. Well?"

No reply.

"Have you reconsidered on aiding me in conquering the demon kings and battling the gods?

Nothing.

"Today too, I do not receive a good answer. Unfortunate."

He turned away, but paused. "By the way, your child is still alive."

Still she would not stir.

"Good thinking on your behalf, to hide him with the enslaved demons."

The slightest twitch in her hands and lips satisfied him, and he looked away.

"Condemning your own child to slavery, what a brutal mother you too are."

Her eyes shot open, wine red and intense as they bore into him. He lost composure, drawn back to her. Ever defiant. He would love her for it, if only she directed this as the gods rather than him. It elluded him why she still prayed after they'd abandoned her.

"I shall kill your child, but you will see him one more time." He turned away. "Wait for it, saint Jeanne d'Arc."

He did understand that threatening a mother with the death of her child would not achieve anything. Not at once, but one day, there would be a time she would have to choose the world, regardless of what blood he spilled.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"As you wish."

Even if Sofiel were to ascend to one of the empty thrones, she suspected Gabriel she would be saying those words to Gabriel forever.

Once Gabriel had ruled with three others, Michael, Uriel, Raphael. Now, Sofiel was the only candicate to join the ring of four great angels. Gabriel was extremely cautious with whom she approved of, and while Sofiel had some pride in being the sole one found worthy, it also worried her. Heaven would recover from neither Bahamut nor the raids of Charioce XVII if there wasn't better organization soon.

They had one more candidate in mind, though. Not for wisdom, but for the qualification of his power, the very power they had sensed break free last night. Now it had vanished again, but it had confirmed the child was alive.

Sofiel had been tending to the ambrosia harvest ritual when she had sensed it, as had most others in heaven. The radiation had been so strong, even lesser gods handpicked up. As a consequences, the usually empty streets buzzed with so much noise, one much mistake it for the days before Bahamut's terror. She'd dropped everything, sped to Gabriel, and received the expected orders.

Further instructions were less ... overt. Silently understood. The promise went out that heaven might throw off the blood reign of Charioce XVII with this child was widely promised, while behind the walls Gabriel spoke often of restoring humankind's subservience to the gods. Nobody was supposed to ask why their salvation had been born from discarded Jeanne d'Arc and not anyone in heaven. Michael's favor, perhaps, but Gabriel had little care.

Sofiel had her two most trusted servants called for, gave assignments to prepare for the mission, and then slipped away to the Elysian Fields.

Here lay many a hidden corner, one of them a small shrine with ringed wards. It did not look very important from the outside and most knew it only as the home of a machine tenant. Those privy to the secrets of the higher rings knew it as the home of heaven's prophet. The Magedatidot was of the very few souls in the world who could sense the tremors of fate, that which none knew was being, force, or motion. An erratic master either way, most of the time the Magedatidot spoke of things none could find relevance in.

The Magedatidot's prophecy only truly helped if the events were of a scale so large, there was uniform response to be witnessed, such as the revival of Bahamut. Charioce's arising had also been indicated, but it had started to weak, and too vague, for them to make sense of it.

Still, visiting the demure angel had a certain allure, and there was always the promise that ve knew more. No visit ever passed that ve had not expected, after all.

Except today. For the first time Sofiel had visited vun, ve sat not in the foyer with ambrosia ready, but at the edge of the roof. Ve stared at the sky, frowning.

Up there on the white dome, ve seemed very small in vun ornate dress, almost childish now ve had cut vun hair short again. Sofiel flew up.

"I greet you, blessed one." Sofiel knelt at vun side, foregoing station. "I have been tasked to find the holy child who shall be our salvation. What does the future reflect on me?"

The Magedatidot looked at her with hazy eyes. "The right kind of traitors. Aaah, yes, that's a way to say it. They're everywhere. Know them as your allies."

Useless nonsense, once again.

Today was just as useless. How could there be a _right kind_ of traitor?

The Magedatidot put a finger over vun mouth. "Shhh, it's alright, I won't betray." Ve bowed before flying away into the forest.

Sofiel couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she was left with, but she had become an expert at folding it in a little mental box and ignoring it.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina woke up shivering on the river bank, cold under the night sky. Instinct urged her to move, she wasn't made for this.

She drew her legs out of the water, wishing for the ability to breathe fire right now. Crawling further up the bank, she forced herself on her feet.

The city was nowhere in sight. In the dark it was difficult to see whether there were any scorch marks on the river side. Hopefully all her dragon self had done was swim around and have some fun.

Memories returned of just before the transformation, bringing along fresh tears. Her shoulders began to shake as a mix of of memories of her father and the rising guilt for the people she'd killed mingled.

She did understand it had been self defense, intellectually. According to her mother, the villagers and even Favaro, her dragon self didn't hurt people she didn't want to hurt.

That did exactly nothing about the guilt. She'd still chosen to come here, knowing how dangerous she was. If only she could think like a person in her dragon form, maybe they wouldn't have had to die.

No, she shouldn't get upset about this. She might just promptly turn back again, if she got too unstable again.

It was safe when she was happy and steady. Sudden bursts of specific kind of emotion triggered it. Slow build of, regular sorrow or anything like that didn't do it. She didn't really know the rhyme or reason, though. Shock, trauma flashbacks, arousal, sudden bursts of adrenaline. Basically any kind of reaction that severely impacted the ability to reason, so regular joy, sorrow and anger didn't do it.

Sometimes it was simple, unexpected thoughts that could trigger it. Never thought she chose to have, just thoughts, like that split second that connected herself to Bahamut, when the thought came to her mind of herself as the monstrosity that killed her father.

She staggered on the rough rocks. It was going to be a long walk back, and a lot of effort to keep her thoughts happy. Focus on how she could get a good bed and sleep at the end. The odds of turning dragon again weren't the same, but they were odds still.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Only a day had passed and Azazel was up on his feet already, despite Rita's protests. Now he dragged himself through the streets on his unstable leg, insisting he was fine. El knew he wasn't, and so did Azazel. He was just having one of those stubborn moments. He had those at times. Sometimes a lot. Maybe his whole life was a stubborn moment.

His gait drew attention, which set El on edge. The thick cloak and hat hid some of his paleness, but nobody would be fooled he was anything but a demon up close, while El could easily pass for a human as long as he kept his red eye hidden. Still, they found Bacchus's carriage without any city guards stopping them.

Nearing the holy carriage always was strangely appealing, but it was uncomfortable for Azazel, so El didn't make a habit of coming here.

Azazel bonked on the door, only for nobody to open. No surprise, it was the break of dawn and the gods drank late. Azazel stuck one of claws into the lock, which sparked with holy power in protest, but eventually gave way.

Bacchus and Hamsa lay knocked out with wine bottles a on the head couch, while Nina was under a blanket on the couch opposite to the door.

"Hey, get up!"

Nina groaned, turned over, saw them and squeaked. Her face turned beet red as she vanished deeper under the blankets. "Good morning. I didn't know you had a key to this place. Uhm, I sleep here now. Can you step out while I get dressed?"

"Do you have any idea how suspicious it's going to look if a demon hangs around a fancy carriage?"

"Oh ... I guess that's so. But it's really weird talking like this."

El gave Azazel the _come on its just a small thing pretty please do it_ smile, tapping his back. Azazel huffed, turned around and stretched out his wing between Nina and the drunk gods.

While Nina got dressed, El poked at Hamsa and Bacchus. He wanted to know whether they'd sensed his power before, the way he could sense the presence of gods too. They were drunk enough for a little test to be safe, right?

Just a small jolt of power made Hamsa startle awake, but then only ruffled his feathers and didn't focus on El. Similar lack of response came from Bacchus. Good. The demonic veil kept him hidden enough.

"You can wake people?" Azazel asked.

Nina peered over his wing now. "Oooh, you should come by more often. Bacchus and Hamsa are so often knocked out, it can't be healthy."

"They're gods, they can't get ill from mortal food." Noting Nina had finished dressing, he withdrew his wing.

"We can get ill from goddamn demons breaking into our place. The hell are you doing here?" Bacchus groaned as he forced his eyes open.

"I'm here to get Nina. I _need_ her."

Nina got red again, to El's amusement.

"Who'd you think you are?" Bacchus muttered, struggling to get on his feet. "Breaking in here and needing our Nina."

"I tried to to tell you before that I can't just—" Nina sputtered before he cut in.

"Why not? We're not swimming in eternity here."

Hamsa jumped between them, quacking loud. "Hey hey, Azazel. You can't just go pressure a girl into doing _things_ that she doesn't want."

"Nonsense, she wants this too. I saw her yesterday, she does care."

"Stop talking so weird!" Nina was practically steaming in her skin. It wasn't just embarassment this time, but also anger.

Before Azazel could yell more, El put his hands around Azazel's arm and gave a pleading look. Azazel relented just a bit, setting back on the couch opposite of Nina's. He crossed his arms and glared.

"Y'know, we can do this better." Nina stood before him, eyes averted still, and held out her hand. "I'm Nina Drango, mostly nice to meet you, and thank you for saving my life."

Azazel just stared at her hand. "What are you doing? We already met."

"I know, but it was a bad meeting and we didn't have a formal introduction." Nina took his hand when he didn't offer it — she was strong enough to pry it loose — and shook it so enthusiastically Azazel bounced in his seat. El had to chuckle at the sight of Azazel's brief shock.

Nina let go and plopped herself on the opposite bench. "So anyway, I'd love to join you, but _as I was trying to say before you started yelling_ , I can't. There are uh ... really specific conditions to my transformation."

"What exactly are you talking about?" Bacchus blurted. "Join you for what?"

"Killing Charioce," Azazel said.

"How the hell is she even gonna do that? Pound on him? Beam him to death with smiling?"

"I was thinking about her turning into a dragon and chomping down," Azazel said.

"No, seriously, Nina may be strong for a young woman but that's ridiculous."

"Uh ..." Nina raised a hand. "I actually am in fact a dragon. Part anyway."

Bacchus spat out his wine, while Hamsa tapped his beak with a wing. "A dragon in human shape? That sounds kinda familiar ..."

"Why didn't you tell us, Nina?" Bacchus asked. "Seems pretty relevant if you're gonna live here."

"Well, I don't have to tell you everything. You didn't tell me the rag demon was a good guy!"

A succinct silence well before Bacchus said, "Nah, he's scum."

Azazel sneered, but kept his tongue.

"You're scum, and you're not going to send Nina against the damn green shit when she has no idea whether she can stand up to that. Get out," Bacchus said. El slightly regretted waking him this much.

Azazel narrowed his eyes, but Nina still looked away and wouldn't respond.

"Tch." And so, they left the carriage. El could only hope next time would go better.

Azazel's leg still wasn't entirely right, and El wasn't the only one who noticed. Nina followed them out. Just as Azazel staggered again, Nina slipped below his arm and helped him stay steady.

Azazel tried to pull away. "What are you doing?"

"I can't help you as a dragon, but I can help like this," Nina said.

"That's _not_ the kind of help I need," he grumbled. He shoved her away. El gave her a smile he hoped would indicate he at least was grateful for her care.

Azazel ought to take notice that Nina really wanted to help. Maybe they could work something out with more talking. Oh, how he wished he could speak again.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina had to fight against the lack of enough sleep by means of an extra large breakfast. It made her a little late, but today it didn't matter much. Work on the building was postponed for an extra commission, for which they had to prepare still.

Nina's missed day was met with discontent, but not so much the kind that got her fired as much as them really missing her super strength. Especially not today. The special commission was to fix one of the ruined buildings from the hunt on the rag demon. They'd be paid well if they got it done in time.

Carts had gathered and all human workers were allowed to get on, while the demons walked behind.

So, Nina found herself before the tower where she had nearly died.

"The Orleans Knights tried to arrest one of his associates, but the rag demon grew wings and blew up the tower in an effort to hurt the wyvern riders," Anton said when he caught Nina staring. "Surely you heard of it?"

"Oh, of course. I was just ... wondering at how much strength he must have, to be able to blow up a tower so much it'd hurt those riders. They're pretty fast." As much

"Well, the rag demon is a very dangerous demon. Wings, a dragon, explosions ... who knows what other powers he has hidden?"

Somewhere behind them, a demon muttered something about turning those powers on Charioce.

"What was that?" Anton turned sharply, his previously kind face etched in loathing. Had he always been so hateful?

The demons shuffled on, none betraying who had spoken.

They were to climb the dangerous heights to lay down the framework for the humans to work on. Cleaning the debris was likewise their job, while the humans got the tidier work of building the walls itself. While they went ahead, the human group hung out at the bottom to chat, gossip and speculate. Any other day, Nina would have been at the noisy center,

She'd helped demons move things some time, when it sped things up, but she'd not really looked at them. She'd be a splatter on the ground if it hadn't been for a demon's mercy and a grinding shame filled her. She'd looked at this for so long and just not done anything. She hadn't even considered she had to do something.

The stories about the rag demon's irreparable evil had been wrong, so the same would be true for these people, right?

One of the demons stumbled as he climbed the tower stairs. The overseer's whip slashed at his back, and the sound echoed through the walls.

"Get off!" he barked when the demon behind the fallen one tried to help out. "He has to do it alone or he's not worth the keep."

Nobody did anything. Anton, Gosing and Patrick chatted about the latter's oncoming wedding. A little further someone discussed mortar make up. Between the words mingled the sound of the whip and the whimpers of its victim. His foot stood at an odd angle, he wouldn't be able to stand.

Nina moved into the tower. The overseer was Javier, whom she'd known only as a good natured if distant man. She ripped the whip from his hands.

Baffled, Javier stared at his empty hand and Nina.

"Enough!" she said. "How can he stand like this? There's no need to be this mean."

"I'm not being mean, I'd never do this to a person," he mumbled, seeming confused Nina said this at all.

"If that's how you think, you shouldn't have this job!"

He flinched as she stepped closer, knowing her strength, but she just shoved him aside and marched up to the nearest demon. Nina wasn't quite strong enough to outright break metal, so she grabbed a rod and rammed it in a hinge. After four hits, she got it loose.

"You can't do this!" Gosing called. She ignored him and kicked the ball away.

"Go," Nina said, holding out a hand. "You don't have to be here ... none of you do."

"No, it's okay. I'm okay here. It could be worse." The demon clutched a hand at the collar, not even meeting Nina's eyes. "They'll catch us anyway. We're better off staying, miss. Thank you for your consideration, I'm not worth it."

The demon on his unstable foot pulled up at the stairs and continued upward.

Anton stood in the door opening now. "Nina, come on, it's just demons. Let it be."

"But—"

"Nina, a word with you!" called Stefano, the site manager.

"You better go," Anton muttered.

When Nina arrived at his post, Stefano had exchanged stern overseer for fatherly overseer.

"Nina, you're a foreigner, so perhaps you have not realized this. We have laws against sympathizing with evil," Stefano said. "They exist for a reason. What you did there, it's dangerous. If you let any lenience to this filth into your mind, who knows what you absorb."

"They're not evil." Nina crossed her arms. "They're just people."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I understand your country might have been spared the ruin that demons bring, but you have to grasp this : those things are not just violent, but deceptive. That whole humbleness you see there? It's fake. They do it only because we took great care that they know their place, but the moment they are free they will turn on innocent people. It's important they are here."

Nina looked over the quarry. Most humans averted their eyes, the rest looked at her in sympathy and confusion. Nobody looked like that at the demons as they were whipped back in place.

"No, what's fake is the goodness of _your king_."

No one else had spoken, yet everything went quiet in the way that terror paves.

Long moments passed, people looked around and settled their eyes on the city guards passing. Had they heard? No, they passed on.

"Nina. Get out," Stefano said once they were gone. "I don't want a scene here."

"You can't fire Nina!" Gosing said. "Come on, just give it a pass."

"You heard her. She won't be reasoned with. The pass I'm giving her is that I'm not reporting her to the authorities."

Nina wasn't sure what she'd expected to happen when she'd moved, but drooping off like this wasn't it. She turned away and stomped off the plaza, but the strength left her step before she reached the first building. Just a few minutes ago, all had been fine, for herself. Now, the whispers behind her sounded like nothing belonging to friends.

" _Is_ she human though?" was what set loose wave of muttering : she was terribly strong for a human, and nobody really knew whether elves or anything were real, and even if she was strong, gravity should still apply in certain ways. Perhaps she was a one of those subfertuge demons, so cleverly disguised as human. Perhaps she was an escaped slave who hid the remnants of horns under her headband. Perhaps she was a spy for the remaining demon tribes.

Anton, Gosing and a few others gave some half hearted counter arguments, but soon stopped. Her throat thickened with a sob, but she forced it down. She had no business being sad. She was alive, she wasn't in trouble. She had to be fine.

She left the plaza and plastered a smile on her face. By the time she returned to the carriage, it felt natural.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Please, my king. Reconsider. The population is already discontent over the damage from the Orleans Knights," Angost pleaded.

"It will be fine as I have planned it," Charioce said.

"With all due respect, we might not be in need of Jeanne d'Arc's support if we were ... more careful with our city."

"Let them complain," Charioce said. "They'll be evacuated, it is only a minor inconvenience."

"My lord, please, we already have two rebellions and a city taken over by demons in the other provinces, and the collapse of the eastern economy due to the mismanagement of slave labor. After the recent carnage with the magenta dragon, we cannot afford to sow more discontent among the population. They will rebel."

"Then I will supress them."

"And I am certain you will," Angost said. "But perhaps we can do our correct goal by arranging it in the mountains right outside the city? I understand it will lead to less renown, but perhaps, rather than kill the rag demon at once, you could capture him alive and kill him in the arena to show your citizens your might? Would that not be better than a nightly execution?"

That was a fair enough point. He'd get both of what he wanted.

In the distant past, right before his eyes, stood Satan and Zeus, their hands wound in chains that lead to nowhere.

They'd have to wait a little longer.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel and her two tenants, Iriel and Tanasuel, had rented a shabby room in the backwater of the city, paid for with heavenly waste.

Upon arrival, she had sensed the low rolling power of two gods nearby. After settling, she followed it, knowing whom to expect. Her tenants would begin the search, while she would see whether she could recruit two extra sets of eyes.

Bacchus had been exiled for falling in love with a human and chasing her to earth, while Hamsa, well, must've done _something_ wrong because upon death he was reincarnated into a duck. They were in charge of the earthly justice system that have once been installed to subdue demon activity. Human bounty hunters were paid with divine finances to encourage them to clean of demonic presence when the gods were not around.

There hadn't been much withdrawals of the divine bank since Charioce took over, so it was no surprise she found the two gods slacking off even more. They were in a human liquor store to restock.

Sofiel remained outside the window, watching them for a moment. The sight of how casual the two gods interacted with the humans, arguing over pricing no respect on either side, drew a chuckle from her. Truly, they lived _with_ humans, not merely among them. Ah well, they seemed at place here.

Bacchus finally sensed her and stood straight, coming outside while Hamsa continued to argue with the human.

"You're the only ones really living with humans, aren't you?" Sofiel said by way of half greeting. She didn't expect Bacchus to care for formalities anymore, and her eyes were still on Hamsa — the human had just attempted to get his tiny crown as payment, which was met with a furious quacking.

"What do you want?" he snapped. And she'd expected right.

She scraped her throat and smoothed out her features. With a gesture she invited him into the nearby alley.

"I came to look for a child with a red eye and a blue eye, who answers to El. Blonde hair, should look around 10 years of age now. Ne is likely within this city."

"Does this have to do with that surge of power the other night?" Bacchus asked.

"Indeed."

"That all you're going to tell me? Who is that child?"

"You don't need to know anything beyond that the humans will seek the child too, so take care to not ask around too obviously."

"Hmmph. Why should I even bother?"

"Consider, lady Gabriel may consider your return to heaven if you were to deliver the child to us. It may well be your last chance."

Judging by the way he froze, eyes wide open, she had his attention. The fool had probably thought he could have his affair without ever missing heaven, but here he was, and he knew what was most important. Humans died. Gods would belong in heaven forever.

She leaned closer. "Tell me once you find the child, hmm?"

Putting in a word for Bacchus wasn't part of her plans, not when she had the highest throne of heaven in her sight. It didn't hurt to let him think so, though.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"So I got fired from my job. Any idea where I can find a new one?" Nina said.

"Just what happened?" Bacchus slurred.

"They were being horrible to the demons and I wouldn't let them. It ... it didn't work out so well."

"Stupid," Bacchus said.

"I know ... I did it in a stupid way, but I don't know what else I can do? I can't help Azazel either, and now I don't even have a job. I can't do anything right."

"Hmm, I have an idea about something you can do very right," Hamsa said. "What's your dragon triggers exactly? There's gonna be a lot of folks around."

Oh, she'd have to say it now, didn't she? Might as well get it over with.

"I think the only thing we need to worry about is, uhm ... hot guys."

"Oh, we can work with that."

A little over an hour later, they'd set up a barrel with a board outside the carriage, as well as a challenge to all strong men. The stream started small, but over the day word spread about the girl who could not be defeated even by the toughest man.

To Nina, this was a piece of cake, and a welcome diversion. One thing she'd learned early upon her arrival in Anatae was just how far she could take the misconceptions on her looks. Not only did she look rather peachy youthful due to her dragon heritage, her attitude and expressiveness had people react to her as a child far more than was good for them. Nina had defeated dozens before it became difficult to get clients, and even then the crowd was filled with disbelieving faces.

Nina kept her eyes close to the ground, as usual, to avoid the occasional handsome man. Hamsa avoided inviting those out too much, but as willing challengers grew sparse, he called out to a man in the back.

"Ah, sir, you've been watching for quite a while now. Are you just shy, or is it so you think you really cannot beat this girl?"

Nina's spotted a few glimpses of him, enough to know that even with the glasses and turban he'd be a problem, but hey, money was money. Time for the blindfold again.

Some of the men laughed and pulled him to the front. "Yeah, spindly guy. Can't fare worse than us, can you?"

"Very well then." Oh spirits, he even _sounded_ lovely. Nina tied the blindfold extra tight.

While Nina got on her bench, the man said he had no money, but must've offered something else cause Hamsa asked, "Is this even real?"

The man didn't answer, just took his place.

Nina waited and he asked, "Why are you blindfolded?"

"It's to help her focus," Hamsa said. Bless Hamsa.

Bless the man too, for when he touched her something shot through Nina she had never experienced before. She didn't even have a name for it, and it was gone within a second, but she needed to hold it.

"All set? Ready? Go!"

With Nina lost in the nameless feeling, the man got the first push in. It wasn't just her distraction though. He was supernaturally strong. She actually had to push back, which in turn caught him off guard. She swayed him to the other side.

Now it was his turn to recover, and that he did enough to almost push her knuckles down. No, she _wasn't_ going down. She bit into her power and went further. The wood split under her elbow, further, further, until she threw him aside.

Nina barely balanced herself on the crate from the force. Somewhere on the street, the man and the broken board fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry!" As she struggled to get the blindfold off, he stood up. Crap, she'd thrown him several meters. She hoped he was alright.

And then he stood up and she hoped _she_ would be alright, because heaven, he was gorgeous. And approaching her. And looking at her with golden eyes. And asking, "Who are you?" in a criminally smooth voice.

"I'm Nina," she mumbled into the blindfold. Dammit, too soft. She pulled it down and said, "Nina!"

"Hmm. I'd like to have a rematch some time."

He had the kind of smile to die for, which probably would happen to at least someone if some transformed in this crowd. She squeezed her eyes. Mercifully, he walked away.

When he was gone, she looked at her hand. The strange feeling lingered there. Not unpleasant, but stranger as time went on. Then her mind took a little leap to other kinds of touching, and that would summon the dragon if nothing else. Yelping, she ran into the carriage.

She curled up on the benched and focused on breathing, the threads in the couch and the colorful painting within the carriage.

Hamsa joined her shortly, opening the box to count the money. He first took out a gorgeous black ring with purple gem.

"It's really amazing," Hamsa said. "This is an actual diamond right here, laid in the kuorsim metal. It's worth way more than 100 rupees."

Wow. That man had been something else in more ways than one.

"Can I see it?" Nina asked, and he handed it to her.

Nina held the ring close for a moment and savored it. To be given something so precious from a man she didn't even know ... after all she'd failed, the idea someone had been so fascinated with her, valued her with so much of a gift, brought her warmth. She'd have something good to write home to her mother, after all.

The ring weighed heavy in her hand and she wanted to store it in a safe place, but as the rush wore off, she remembered the world. There were people who needed more than just warmth and fluffy feelings.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel made a point of leaning on his damaged leg, willing it to heal faster. The only reason he even went to Rita for a check up was that Mugaro kept giving him the most incessant large, worried looks all the time. It just got tiresome.

At the bottom of the spiral stairway, Mugaro stopped to look and smile at something.

Malphas and Divesepid sat aside of the untended elevator on a blanket with a whole pile of cinnamon rolls and other fancy bread things.

Where had they gotten _that_?

He got his answer once he arrived at Rita's place. Eventually. A massive line stood before it, full of sick people. Usually Rita got only the worst cases since people were short on money around here, so this was all kinds of absurd. Money didn't just fall from the sky in the slums.

It fell from Nina's hands though. After going through they back, Azazel and Mugaro stepped into a storm of pink and cream, with a scent of fruit and salted meat. Sacks filled most rooms, even the front where Rita worked with a munching patient.

Nina popped out of the kitchen. "Azazel, Mugaro, you're just in time!" And then grew beet red and looked away.

"What are you doing here?"

"Helping! I might not be able to turn into a dragon at will, but I had some spare money and I thought Rita could give it to the patients who have it the worst. I was going to stand on just hand it out, but then I realized I'd run out before everyone had something and I didn't want to disappoint people. I also paid off everyone's debts, and Rita's going to treat people for free for the next five months at least."

"You robbed someone."

"Did not! I won it fair and square from a very lovely gentleman!" She shoved a long bread thing in his hand. "Here! You work pretty hard every day and night so you should have something good. And one for you too, Mugaro."

Mugaro bit in right away while Azazel had to process the absurdity of the situation. Why were all the sacks pink and cream?

"If all you're going to do is hover, you can do it outside," Rita said while sending her patient through the door.

"Oh, I'll get him out," Nina said. "Mugaro, could you please take over in the kitchen? Rocky and the ravens are making sandwiches but they might need a little supervision."

Mugaro gave a smile and a nod. Before Azazel could object, Nina pulled him out the door — damnit, she was awfully strong — with a bag of food in her other hand.

"So, I wanted to ask you something and—"

Azazel jumped onto the roof of Rita's house, then up the next roof and sat there, half concealed between walls. He knew by now Nina couldn't jump that high, but didn't expect that to stop her. He just wanted to be out of sight; it wasn't a bad idea to eat something decent for a change but he didn't like eating with spectators nowadays. It was degrading to be sitting on dirt, in dusty, impoverished places, stuffing up on food of humans.

Nina had the gal to sit down next to him.

"Anyway, what I was trying to say before was that I actually tracked you for a few weeks. Sorry about that. Bacchus said you were a bad guy and I ... didn't really think about everything."

"Bacchus was messing with you. He's known me for years."

"Oh, really? When did you meet?"

After Azazel had been fried by Jeanne d'Arc and Belzebuth, then dropped down on a road for Bacchus to run over with his carriage. He'd woken up tied in magical bands.

"During Bahamut's revival," he said between chewing.

"Are you the only powerful demon still left? You were kind of a jerk before, but I get why you were so desperate. It must be hard, trying to save all your people alone. I'd really like to help you for the sake of these poor folks here though, it's just that I really don't think I can do much. I can't fly and most of these streets I barely fit in," she said. "I don't want to collapse any more buildings that people live in."

Azazel tipped her face up with a finger. "Do you see the blue stuff up there? That's sky. The rushing sound behind us is the river. There's also big rocks outside the walls called hills. Consider going there. It's called a _the world_."

She huffed. "I do know that, you know. It's just that — look, I can't control much, okay? If I could, I'd have captured you already."

Point taken.

"Anyway, you kill those who abuse others so they'll stop, right?"

He paused. He'd come here to restore the pride of the demon tribe, but strictly speaking, that was the practical effect he had. Just the day before, he'd found himself saying similar to Kaisar. When had that happened? Crap.

"I'd do it too," she whispered. "The other day I saw some people who were mourning an Orleans Knight who died just the other day. They had a state funeral and there were so many people. I'm probably the one who killed him."

"They attacked you without provocation. It was self defense, not murder," Azazel said. A well explored distinction for him, which he'd never cared about before beyond how survivors responded to him. It still didn't really matter to him, but he had to carry that distinction now, even if just for the likes of Kaisar. _They didn't do anything. They are harmless._

"I know, and I don't really regret surviving, but still. Someone with loved ones died." She pulled up her knees and hugged them close. "Y'know, I've never killed anyone before. I did burn some things in dragon form, but never went this far. I can't remember either way. What's it like, to kill someone?"

Funny, if he arranged the situation just right.

"Azazel?"

"Rita didn't tell you how she met me, did she?"

"Huh? What's that got to do with this?"

"Never mind ... It feels like power."

"I guess that's what it means," she said. "I mean, if you know it can change things, but I'm not even aware what I think. If I can think at all, when I'm a dragon. Sometimes I'm afraid that — you know what, this is really too gloomy. Let's talk something else. Did you like the sandwich?"

"Could've been better." He said. He'd only gotten halfway through in all this time, despite taking big bites.

"Really?" Nina said with a cheeky sideglance. "How sad, when you're on your third one."

... crap. This one half soft chunks on it and no meat at all. And it did in fact _not_ taste bad.

Nina held out a fourth one. It was ridiculous but taking it felt like conceding or losing, so he didn't take it.

He finished the rest of the thing in silence while Nina sat with him in silence, still not directly looking at him. Some of the cheer was off her face again, she probably mulled over what he'd said.

She _would_ kill, once she became a dragon, so he just had to convince her to get in place somehow. She clearly wanted to help the demons, so that should be easier than Kaisar.

Speak of the devil ...

A row of wyverns crossed the slums, circling down to the central plaza. As those landed, a second row joined in and landed on other wide areas of the slums. The screams started soon after. Within no time, the line at Rita's door vanished.

The day had come. Azazel had a pretty good guess that Charioce had finally had enough. He'd expected it, but the timing couldn't be worse.

"What's happening?" Nina asked.

He pushed her off the roof and jumped after, dragging her back into Rita's place. She'd barely stumbled in or he slammed the door and turned the lock.

"What's going on?" Rita asked as she walked up.

"Kaisar's rounding up demons," Azazel spat.

To his utter confusion, Rita unlocked the door. "They'll kick in the door if it's closed. You three go out the back, into the underground. I'll be fine, most likely. If I'm not, I'm going to bite."

Ugh, fine. Let her do her thing.

"Mugaro, we're going."

"We're not fighting?" Nina asked.

"Not in daylight, not in the slums," Azazel said.

Mugaro was already at the backdoor, opening it.

"But Rita—"

"She'll be fine." Azazel pulled her along. "Kaisar won't screw _her_ over."

That wasn't quite entirely right, given Kaisar's recent, bizarre behavior. Azazel refused to trust it. At the end of the day, Kaisar still was just the king's lapdog.

Once in the alley, he pushed Nina in the direction of the nearest stairway. "Get lost, there's no reason for you to even be here."

She went with a sad look on her face. Mugaro looked just a touch unhappy at this, but Azazel ignored it. If Nina wasn't going to be part of the rebellion, he wasn't going to show her the underground.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina got out of the slums by one of the other stairways, taking advantage of the fact that once close enough to wyverns, her scent unnerved them and they backed away. She'd returned to the carriage with little trouble and a lot of worries. She'd planned to bring by more of the newly bought food, but that'd have to wait now.

To distract herself, Nina stayed outside to brush the hippogryph's manes, trying to find the best way for scratches. It reminded her of home a little.

"Hey." There stood Rita, with her zombie carrying a bag and her crows on a stand in her hands. She set it down next to the hippogryph.

"Rita, you're okay!"

"Of course I am. They weren't taking everyone, I just needed some time to get my creatures out."

"Do you know why they rounded up those people?"

"Let's say Charioce is being himself in particular tonight."

"Anything I can do?"

"No." Rita said. "I'm staying here for the night."

Hamsa leaned out the door. "Oi, you can't just invite yourself."

"Can it," she said. "I don't want to get seen and thrown in jail for being a human associated with demons. Kaisar can only do so much."

Dejected, Nina looked at all the extra food, stuffed in pillow cases and crates.

"Are you staying long? Not that I mind your company, it's just that I hoped this wouldn't go to waste."

"Let's eat what will spoil otherwise, then we'll see whether the knights left the slums. They sometimes stick to prevent uprisings."

Nina nodded. Truth be said, she was kinda starving. As a dragonfolk, she needed far more food that an ordinary human. Lacking anything better to do, maybe they could throw a small party tonight. It'd be fun. It had to be.

Before she headed into the carriage, a movement caught her attention. Half in the shadow at the end of the road stood a little girl in rags, just for a moment before vanishing. Oh. Nina hadn't seen her since Favaro had left.

 **· · · · · · ·**

High on their ruined tower outside the city, El finished tying the last bandages around Azazel's stomach. It was their ritual : every time Azazel left to save anyone, El would see him off. Often this was quiet, but tonight not so.

Charioce had issued a challenge. Azazel would come face to face with the dark knights that had once chased El and his mother down. Azazel would face them alone. While El could disable their power, that would not stop the wyvern riders. El might just end up a liability in the end.

Azazel softly ran his hand over El's head, and he looked up to smile at him.

"If you keep smiling for me, I might just survive tonight."

El would do whatever he could to make that true. A smile or singular power wouldn't do enough, but there was more concrete hope.

Azazel stood up, but paused at the edge of the floor. "If I don't return, go to the zombie girl."

With that he fell, flying off to where the red light of fires reflecting on the sharp hills.

Of course El wasn't going to stay. Once Azazel was gone, Mugaro floated off the tower and sped towards where he sensed Bacchus's carriage.

They had an outside feast, Nina the only one really laughing as she told a story about a mentor or something. When she spotted El, she stood up and waved.

"El! Come join us!"

He shook his head and gestured at the hills, then made a gesture as if scooping Nina along, followed by emulating horns on his head with fingers.

"Huh? Something with Azazel?" Nina sked.

El nodded and gave a sharp look at Rita. She hadn't told her anything, hadn't she?

Rita sighed.

Bacchus turned to him and asked. "He got in trouble again?"

Wild nodding. El walked to Rita and pointed at Nina. She had to tell him.

Nina's fingers dug into the wood of the table. "Rita. Azazel's in trouble, isn't he?"

Rita finally sighed and said, "Charioce set a trap. The rag demon was to show himself in a designated spot in the hills, or Charioce will kill twenty demons every hour throughout the night. Kaisar said they're planning to kill him and asked me to stop him. You know how he is. There's nothing I could do."

She looked more dejected than usual, but when Nina stood up and braced her feet into the ground, Rita still said, "Nina, _don't go_. You're out of your league."

"We'll see about that," Nina said, looking more stern that El had ever seen. "Azazel won't die."

With all the force of a dragon, she ran off towards the hill. El wasted no time following her, letting go of gravity. Once he caught up, he led her the right way. He hadn't been wrong about Nina; he rarely was about people.

 **· · · · · · ·**


	4. Trust

**· · · · · · ·**

Calling the surrounding of Anatae _hills_ didn't do it justice. The impact of Bahamut's fire had twisted the landscape against gravity, as if giant claws jutted from the lands. One day there might be tales of Bahamut sealed under the earth, clawing below to get out. Magic brimmed within the earth that otherwise would have long collapsed under its own weight. Here, the mecha and knights on horse were out of their element, but the wyvern riders had more range.

He had gathered about two hundred demons on the upper slope of one such a peak. Though it was night, fires had been lit all along the path here and on the surrounding peaks. There was nowhere for the rag demon hide, and an easy way to dispose of the corpses. Altogether, he had to concede his advisers had been right to lay the trap here rather than within the confines of the city.

The question was whether he would come at all. If the rag demon only sought to instill fear, this would not matter to him. However, were it a matter of pride or even his people, he would come. Charioce would wait.

And wait. No doubt the conflict would be tense and ultimately satisfying, but the time until its arrival was a cultivated bore. Now, he had quite cultivated an attitude of reserved control, so he had taken position on a central, visible point for his soldiers and knights, helmet off and wind pulled at his wide cape. If all would go well, he would not need to lift a finger tonight. Another nail in the coffin of those who had once trampled over humankind.

It was no surprise that this night, he had a visitor. Behind him stood the mirage of a demon, looming without shadow and unseen to anyone but himself. Long, leathery wings folded around him and robbed some of his sight; the pest could do little more.

Once the red moon was high enough to peak the top of the land claw, he gave the signal. His knights encased the nearest demon in a painful force field.

"Rag demon, show yourself!" His voice carried far down the slopes, finding no reply.

He plunged his sword into the demon and his knights threw the corpse down the slope. Three more deaths passed before his enemy appeared.

Rather dramatically, the rag demon manifested on an outcrop between them and the moon. Charioce could appreciate the theatrics, but there was also a practical side. When the rag demon jumped down, he pushed off against the rock and just plan jumped over the nearest knights while still maintaining the illusion he couldn't fly. Hah. Charioce had to admit that was rather practical to being underestimated.

His sorcerers opened lighting circles at once, leaving no chance for the rag demon to even kill anyone. Just as he jumped down, the force caught him and threw him against the outcrop. Fire whirled up, scorching the earth. Even the rocks groaned under the heat.

The nearest mecha raised its blade and threw it right on the spot the demon had to be, causing the rocks to collapse altogether.

All fell silent. This better not be all it took, that would make this mass look like overkill.

And it wasn't. One of the more massive rocks in the pile shifted.

"Wait," he said, before his knights would approach.

The rock cracked in half. After a little more shaking, the pieces and all around where thrown meters into the air.

As the fire and debris cleared, the last bits of rags incinerated and left was a demon only about the size of a human man, white in body and clad in black. The face was rather familiar.

"Ah, it is _you_."

In sheer rage, the demon screamed Charioce's name as black feathered wings erupted from his back.

Oh, this just got so much more interesting. He got himself a fallen angel. What a perfect opponent, he was almost tempted to fight him one on one. Almost. His duties didn't allow for games.

So he stayed even still as the rag angel shot ahead.

The way his enemy fought was remarkable in its sheer brutality. Two dozen knights fell before him, almost an afterthought as rows of magical, black serpents pierced right through their armor. Top class dark magic, freshly attested in the records of Anatae — not merely any fallen angel, but perhaps a demon lord too.

The rag angel swirled out of the way of the mecha's strikes, only to be struck by another. The royal sorcerers unleashed more lightning onto the place he fell, a ceaseless barrage that set alight him and a radius of about thirty meters. The ground tore open, yet the dark angel flew out of it untouched.

He flanked the nearest mecha, surrounding it with serpents turned to wire that puleld the legs together. The mecha fell over right as the angel conjured up a sword and pierced the helmet of the next one, destroying the power core. He diverted back at Charioce, now only cold hatred on his face.

More of those serpents slaughtered the last of the knights before Charioce. Two of the black serpentss reach him. Now Charioce drew his sword to cleave them aside. The temptation to engage the rushing demon was so great, he took two steps ahead and cut into the next hail of black serpents. Seconds only, yet he had to call on the force of dromos to lend himself inhuman speed. Not enough. He only had one sword, and the enemy ten of those things aimed at him. He'd be dead, if not for the tiny detail that his armor was charged with the stolen power. The serpents broke on it.

Two serpents came at his head. He hit one, but the other took off part of his ear even as he dodge. It twisted around behind him and he turned just in time to slice it through the middle.

He expected the rag angel right on him now, but he only heard a wrangled scream. The rush of violence subsided, he noted his Onyx Knights had caught the rag angel in their force field. Well, that settled that.

Slipping into his collected modus was so easy nowadays. The screams were little more than satisfying background noise. Gingerly, he touched his bleeding ear.

Hmmm. Here he'd thought he'd just wear the armor to not look measly compared to the others, no problem to leave the helmet away. Imagine if the rag angel had known from the start where to aim those things, he'd be dead. Stupid, careless mistake. He had known the rag angel hid abilities of himself and it had almost cost him.

The rag angel still screamed within the green sphere. Quite a thing he was, one could see the traces of angel heritage for more reasons than the feathered wings. There was only hell in his eyes though, and it refused to let him surrender. The force field would hurt no matter what, but the way he strained against it would make it worse.

"What's the matter? We're done here. Just give up already."

The answer was some grunting and more screaming of his name. He left off the XVII, it didn't even feel personal. Just another little bundle of rage, as typical for demons.

He gave the signal to end it.

The narest mecha raised its sword and bore down so hard, the rag angel was driven into the ground.

The shield faltered.

"No, keep it going." At his words, it flickered back on, lightning the results.

A dent was made into the body that should leave gore all over the place, yet with terrible cracking, screams and the sound of flesh, the body pulled back into its own shape.

Hmm. During the invasion of Cocytus, there had been a number of demons they'd been unable to kill with ordinary weapons. It hadn't been a time for experimenting, but perhaps now was.

"Do it again."

The rag angel cried out as the blade descended once more, cought up blood and making a deeper dent into the ground, but the blade itself didn't even break the feathers on his wings.

Interesting.

"My king, please stop this," someone said behind him.

He didn't turn to Kaisar. "Why would I?"

"It's a waste of time. One cannot kill a fallen angel with ordinary weapons. Believe me, I've tried to kill this very demon with my own sword, and the lady Jeanne later confirmed only weapons of holy or curse magic can affect them."

"He does seem to be bleeding."

"I suspect that is the pressure of the body itself being contorted."

"That may be. I suppose we might just take him captive ... " Kaisar seemed relieved at that. "... but first I want to see whether we can get through with our own magic. Perhaps with enough wounds, we can simply bleed him out."

He nodded at the Onyx Knights, who intensified the field. The screaming become choked.

Kaisar flinched. Charioce saw it just from the corner of his eyes.

"How do you know this one, exactly?" He asked.

"Azazel is the demon who killed my father. I've ... I've followed him for a while with this suspicion, but I wasn't certain it was him."

"Ah. I suppose that explains your reluctance to provoke him too much," he said, while actually supposing more went on. Azazel was recorded as one of the demons Jeanne d'Arc had killed ten years ago, during the invasion on Anatae. Her most famous heroic act, killing Azazel and Pazuzu, which had made it so easy for people to write off her transformation into a witch as nothing but some demonic plot to taint her name. Personal history or not, such should have prompted the captain of the Orleans Knights to raise the alarm.

Now Jeanne's old enemy was here, somehow alive, somehow connected to her holy child. It reeked of fate's hand. Charioce couldn't stand fate.

"Again," he ordered the mecha.

"My king, it won't work," Kaisar said, more urging now. Charioce didn't care whether it worked.

As the blade raise once more the slightest tremor in the earth made Charioce freeze. His surrounding vanished behind ghostly black wings. The tremor increased and for a moment, Charioce had the sensation claws of the land itself curled inward, crushing everyone.

Within a blink the darkness was gone, just in time to see the blade descend off balance. The impact right next to the rag angel launched him into the sky on exploding rocks and dispersing field. It propelled the rag angels into a tall arc, over all the troops, speeding into the darker slopes below.

Thanks, fate. Just trying to save the world here, but noooo, things had to get difficult again.

 **· · · · · · ·**

He couldn't move, yet he _had_ to.

"Azazel!"

The voice tore him back to consciousness. His muscles twitched and he opened his eyes, finding Mugaro half blocking the sky.

"Mugaro ... you weren't supposed to come here."

As he strained to sit up, he noticed Nina kneeling on his other side, her gaze averted.

Azazel had landed on a narrow slope between two fangs of the landscape, where the earth had cracked and strained under the unnatural weight. Only a little sky was visible and the moonlight didn't reach here. How they had found him here was a riddle that all but confirmed Mugaro had extrasensory abilities — long suspected, never clear enough till now. Great. Just what he needed, more people to worry about.

"Girl, take Mugaro away from here."

Mugaro shook his head and pointed at Nina and himself, then both hands at the city and to here. Oh, right, that was it. Nina hadn't just follow Mugaro, he'd brought her to help.

"She can't and she won't, we already know that," he said, and then to Nina. "If you think I'm going to let myself be dragged away from here just because Mugaro wants it, you're wrong."

"If you think I'm going to let you get yourself killed—"

"Still counting!" The voice rolled down the slopes, leaving a weak echo in the passage. Right after it was a strangled cry, followed by a body tearing rocks along as it rolled down.

Azazel braced his wings against the ground and forced himself on his feet. That was about as far as his wings took him. One wing stroke and feeling every bone strain, he knew he wouldn't fly again. Could he walk up fast enough?

Pain shot through his abdomen and he staggered.

Nina scampered before him, arms wide to block the way. "Wait!"

"Get out of my way." He tried to sound commanding, but it came out more like a choked breath.

"I'm _not_ getting out of your way." She didn't even look at him. "Fighting with those injuries, you are certain to die."

"Even if I die ..." He stepped aside and batted aside the arm in his way. "I will go."

He got exactly two steps further before the pain forced him to stand still. Though the material of that damn blade itself couldn't harm him — neither blessed nor cursed — it had been charged with the crude magic of Charioce's green power, congregated just below his ribs on impact. The flesh didn't mend as well as it should.

"Rag demon! Do you hear me? Come out, or I will slaughter the rest."

"Is that him?" Nina asked.

"Yes," Azazel wheezed. "He had over a hundred demons up ... less now ... if I go up there he'll lose interest in killing them."

"What kind of king is he?" That was the first time he ever heard the strain of hatred in her voice. Good. Even if she didn't want to help him, she might help others.

He started walking again. "If I die, use your power for the demons."

"Don't!" Nina grabbed him by the arm and pulled. This being a slope, he lost his footing and tumbled down. Nina didn't let go, so was pulled along. As they rolled she put her arms around him, the thought shot by she might die from cracked skulls, and he put one arm around her. The other he used to brace against the ground.

This led to a painful landing on his back and her straddling him. She was fine. He was less so than before, his wings did not like being weighted on now.

"Hey, girl, get a grip," he grumbled. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

"I did! Just hear me out!" She sat up a little, and for a few long moments she looked at him. It was the first time she looked him straight in the eyes. "The truth is ... "

She took a deep breath, and said, "Tell no one. Absolutely no one."

"Hnng." This was beginning to get very awkward. Even in the dark, the red of her face stood out.

And then she pushed her forehead against his collarbone. "Hug me."

... what.

"Why the hell would I?" Wait ... this ... this might have something to do with those conditions to her transformations ...

"Because. Hurry up! Hug me!"

 _Help_.

It wasn't strictly speaking the holding her part. He'd done that twice now. But they had been different situations, okay. He hadn't been paying attention to her so much as to the avoiding getting hurt. This was just ... awkward. Too awkward. Worse than the pain.

His eyes darted around. Rocks here. Mugara smiling over there. Heaven above. Nope, not getting help.

He had no choice, did he? So he spread his arm, couldn't stop the wrangled noise from his throat, and embraced her. Despite himself, he found his face in the crook of her neck and his wings popping out.

This was ... not the worst. Kinda soft. For about four seconds before the emerging pink light burst Nina into the air.

As she shot off like some reverse meteorite, it left him dented more into the ground.

Mugaro soon leaned over him, smiling way too radiantly. Almost like he was proud.

It took Azazel a few seconds to process what had happened while the sounds of chaos started rolling down the slope. His mind helpfully deposited his thoughts on Lucifer.

This was it. If Charioce died tonight, he'd have to face Lucifer within a week tops and explain all this. Really, Lucifer wouldn't even need to add annoying annotations to the history records. It just wrote itself : the great Azazel, scourge of humankind, brought about the salvation of demonkind by being beaten into a miserable pile but that was okay because he hugged a girl and that fixed everything.

Would it, though?

High above a wyvern rider passed, and a horrible little detail crept out of his memory : Nina couldn't fly.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The dragon knew the here and now : a world built on kindred magic, rife with blood of those she had to save, and her enemy perched on the claws of the great ancestor's shadow. Such a small being, so much hatred concentrated in one place. The metal, the scent of fear, the promise of death if she did not retaliate. She been in this world before. There was only one way for it to end.

That one, the leader, he had to die the most and she could do so.

Her power converged into solid form, pushed scales and tail and the breath of fire into the cold night. When she set foot down on the earth, it was with fresh heaviness and a will to fight for life.

Scattered between the metal enemies were groups of demons, their scent distinct from the humans. They were new to her, but the understanding they had to be saved permeated her drive. She couldn't unleash her fire on them, lest the wrong ones die. Many already had died, it shouldn't be more.

All humans geared up at once. Golden fields raised at her, firing meaningless power at her. She incinerated the magic with precise, targeted fire that never hit ground.

Taking a step towards the nearest line of prisoners, she swiped away their guards. They scattered in fear, stumbling down. Their hands tied, they weren't able to move well. She took position between them and the humans, lest their fire hit them.

The other humans abandoned their posts with the other prisoners, gathering against her. More of the golden shields were raised and she charged ... to find it a trap.

A green forcefield surrounded her, pulling her back. She braced against it as a heavy mecha approached, blade drawn. The shield was new, but the giant not. She turned her stomach up, caught the blade at it descended between her front paws and broke the force shield with her tail and hind legs.

They landed with the mecha atop her. She rolled aside, throwing it off. It tried scrambling to its feet as others approached.

In the moment of chaos, her sight fixed on the leader. All others were around him, positioned to defend and the charge at his voice. She jumped onto the unstable mecha, which collapsed under her as she used it to jumped higher up the slope. Rocks slid below her, but she scrambled further.

More of those mecha charged. She shot fire at the unsteady ground below them, her magic mixing with that of the ancestor to tears the rocks loose. Avalanches tore down below them.

Screams filled the air behind her. She stopped. Both enemies and some of the fleeing demons had been caught in the wreckage ... that was wrong. Not supposed to happen. Spirits, she wasn't used to fighting like this.

If she ended it now, though, she could focus better on those to be saved.

The enemy came down from his perch, said something pointless as she charged up again. She opened her jaws, almost in range to burn him down, when another tiny figure darted in the way, sword drawn before the enemy.

She stopped again, sliding back a little on the slope.

A typical human, but familiar. The hair stood out, she knew this one ... knew he was connected to a friend, whose strange, dead scent still clung to him. No mistaking, she wasn't supposed to kill this one either. Better no fire.

Fortunately he was tiny, did nothing but stand there and she just happened to be a massive long necked dragon. She just took a few steps over him, let him hit uselessly at her throat and snapped at her real target.

Her jaws closer not around metal, but a solid, stinging green forcefield. She increased the pressure, desperate to bite through. Shoving the other human aside, she set both claws at the side of the shield. It. Had. To. Crack. _Now_.

It cracked. Now the human inside screamed at last.

Her jaws closer around metal and ... couldn't get through again. The same magic of those force fields resisted her here. Her jaws hurt and patience low, she instead slammed the body onto a nearby rock.

The enemy slumped down yet still got ready to raise another shield. She snapped at him, intent to grab the unprotected head between her jaws. He must've dodged because her jaws closer against metal again. She couldn't see clear enough, but the head was on her right side.

Just as she tried to ram the head against the nearest rock, the forcefield emerged from his arm and forced her jaws open. It was the pain as it cut into her tongue that made her throw him.

His head landed on a rock and he quit moving. There was plenty of blood, and now, free space.

She geared up the fire in her throat and seared the earth. A white blur shot before the fire and awful, inhuman wailing filled the air.

When the flames clear, there lay a charred unicorn. A little further that weird hair human dragged the unconscious enemy into a crack of the earth.

No, not again! She fell in the cavity, clawing at it with all might.

Why was someone who was with friends be helping the enemy? Fire itched in the back of her throat, begging her to burn them down.

She got no chance to decide. A forcefield closed around her again. The cavity distanced.

She braced all her limbs against it, further, more, soon it'd break. Just a little more, then she'd burn them down.

Those precious few seconds weren't enough. A wyvern landed at the cavity. More humans pulled out the enemy, onto that beast. They flew away.

Gone.

The field cracked under her power. Running at full speed, she lurched at the wyvern, but it wasn't even close.

The enemy vanished into the darkness. She gave chase down the hill, intent to follow it all the way, but soon lost sight of it and with that, focus to remain. Intent gone, so did the burning fire that kept her going as a dragon.

 **· · · · · · ·**

While Belphegor had known the resistance existed for years, she'd never been sure what exactly they did. Not much, it turned out. They helped refugees hide and channelled them out of the city whenever possible. A very cautious definition of possible. Tonight they planned to sit back entirely to avoid trouble. Dante urged her to stay still, insisted her drive was just newbie spirit, but screw that. She hadn't even consciously decided to be part of the resistance, it just had to be.

"I can hardly believe I'm going to do this," Dante said as he followed her. "Look, this is a huge risk. You're smart and healthy for a demon in this cursed city, we could use you on the long run. There's no resisting humans if we die."

Old, true creed, but not tonight. "This will be different. Lord Azazel and his dragon will change things. We need to be ready to help whomever we can, however we can."

She got a heavy sigh and his footsteps behind her. At least he followed her.

There was one elevator here, and there she got a lot more resistance than from Dante. The owners were already shady, but the outright _no, get lost_ she hadn't expected.

"Please, help out. We must grab everyone we can and get them down here before any mobs form," Belphegor said again.

Malphas and Divesepid just stared. "Why?"

"We have a crisis here! There will be many injured who can't make it down the stairs, or even be safely led through the streets! Someone of your size, Divesepid, could help carry people! We'll likely be spotted anyway and—"

"Yeah, let someone else be spotted," Divesepid mumbled.

"We had Dante being all passionate a few years back too," Malphas said with a humorless smile. "It'll pass."

"Did you have a massacre of this magnitude back then too?"

"No, this is pretty new," Divesepid said. "In terms of form. We've seen plenty of other types of bloodshed by now. Look, we're gonna be here if someone wants down, nothing more. I'll do it for free this night, that's all you're getting."

"Their choices. Let them be," Dante said. "Let's take the stairs, we'll be faster."

Belphegor had to concede, but it didn't feel right.

A small voice reached her as she was a few steps up the spiral. "I'll help, if you don't mind."

It was one of the women she'd helped hide just the other day. She shivered on her feet and her bandaids were bloodsoaked. No shape for heroics. Yet when she spoke, there was a harshness to it that didn't fit the frail image. "I need to help."

"You're barely even healed. I don't think that's a good idea," Belphegor said.

"A good idea? I've got nothing to have ideas about except my friends. They were taken. We hadn't found a home yet, so they just snatched them from the streets. I got away only because I still have my wings. Let me help, I'll go back once I find them."

Belphegor closed the distance between them and said, "Listen to me. The rag demon is lord Azazel. He's incredibly powerful, I'm sure he'll manage. It's better if weaker demons stay out of the way, so he has less to protect."

Her eyes widened. "Azazel? Why would _he_ even? No, thanks. I'll fly alone then."

Belphegor frowned at the poorly concealed spite, but focus on the revelation that Adva could fly. It was so rare for any demons who still had their wings to be around. She would be of use to the resistance, once it got off the ground. Her practical side told her not to squash this kind of spirit, and won out.

"Alright. What you can do for us is fly low and guide anyone who escapes back to a point we'll choose. What is your name?"

She nodded. "Adva."

She said nothing more as she followed.

Not so soon they arrived at one of the smaller gates. There were only two guards this night and night watch had been thin on the way. Good. Most forces had been allocated to the murder scene.

"I can handle one of those quickly, can you take the other?" Dante said.

"No need." She took out a small pipe from the many pockets of her coat and a vial from another. A third pocket produces tiny darts. She filled the darts on the spot with a tranquilizer. "This is going to simulate a hangover once they wake up. Adva, this will be our point. Steer clear."

She aimed. With two sift blows, she hit them in the neck.

Dante sighed in relief. "Impressive trick. I heard of your inventive spirit, but I didn't know you were into chemical things."

"I got into it in the red light district," she said. "Need drives creation as much as curiosity."

They pulled the bodies below the gate, into the shadows. Adva vanished across the open road as fast as she could at a walking pace, pretending to only be a human traveler. Once she reached the nearby cluster of trees, she took off.

They waited a long time. The noises on the hills died down and soon after, Adva's shadow crossed the line of the nearby forest. One might mistake her for a bat if one didn't know better. Slower than before and frequently landing, she must be guiding someone. At the edge of the forest though, she crossed the distance as fast as she could.

Landing with Belphegor in the shadow, she said, "I've found a group who escaped, they're right on my tracks, but uhm ... there's someone with them. Again. I don't know what to do about him."

Belphegor got a hunch soon confirmed.

Again, the captain of the Orleans Knights escorted the escapees. This time he went by unicorn, much more visible than before. The group followed them, looking more in Adva's direction than his. When they spotted Belphegor and Dante, they rushed towards them.

"Did you see lord Azazel?" Belphegor asked Adva.

Adva shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. But I did see two of my friends."

Belphegor gave a quick glance over the moon covered faces. All tired, fearful and many bleeding, a few supported by others. None of them were familiar, so that meant Adva'd seen corpses. Her throat thickened, she could only hope she wouldn't find Azazel as a corpse too. "Alright. Everyone, move with us."

Dante ushered them through the gate, into the shadows, while Belphegor stayed outside. Knife drawn and pipe hidden below her other arm, she kept eye on Kaisar.

He'd steered his unicorn below the gate and remained in the show, regarding the falling guards as if waiting for movement.

"They're knocked out, not dead," Belphegor said. "Do us a favor and pretend you saw them drink this night."

He gave a tense nod. "Take the next group through the farmer's gates. These ones will change shift soon."

Her gut instinct was to expect a trap, her reasoning suggested otherwise. How to make sense of this human at all? What was his tie to Azazel?

"You're the last lady that Cerberus ... uhm ... "

"Sold you. You can say it. We all know the exchange here." Belphegor gestured around her, at the city.

"You are her then." He got off the unicorn and took a step closer.

She flicked the blade and he stopped. "What's going on up there? Where is lord Azazel?"

"I have not seen him since he fell down the slope, but he will be fine, I believe. This may sound strange, but he has divine friends beyond that dragon."

"What is your deal? Do you do this because you owe lord Azazel, or does he have leverage over you?"

He had a pained look for a moment. "I ... I try to pursue a life different from what I once did, driven by revenge. I do not wish for anyone to die, be it human or demon, but over the years, I've fallen into complacency. It is strange that of all people, it was Azazel to shake me from it, to point out I was failing the chivalry I had sworn to uphold as a knight."

"Oh." It sounded too good to be true, even though Belphegor had once met humans he spoke like this. In better times. The present age seemed to do nothing but strip all the good away.

"Regarding what I and my knights have done, it was wrong. Please forgive me," he said.

The audicity he had to ask her for that, when every day the king he guarded shed more of the blood of her own people.

"I don't need your words, king's dog. It means nothing."

"It does. I really am sorry, I'd like to offer my apologies, but I don't know the right way," he said softly at first, only for this voice to rise. Half visible in the moonlight, his face almost looked like he meant it.

"Sorry? No you're not," Belphegor said. "I've seen your people around the red light district. You're favorites because with you around the worse scum behaves, but I've seen them walk on when cries came from the alleys or upper rooms and look away when someone came bruised down the stairs. What you _do_ is chase down escaped slaves, protect humans alone, and let us rot. Don't you dare apologize when you've done nothing to make me believe it means anything."

It poured out like venom, but at the end of it she felt only drained. Tears stung in her eyes. It wasn't enough. No amount of speaking, swearing, cursing would make up for anything. Earth had become to demons as hell was to humans, and there was nothing she could ...

... she could do what was known as demon creed. Two knights and special ropes had been needed to restrain her. Even if he drew that sword, she had a fair chance to take his life.

But what good would it do? He'd just be replaced, and she'd have to fight off ideas for the rest of her life on whether she'd done the right thing. All that happened was a pathetic sob from her throat. No, no, keep composure.

He held out a handkerchief.

By all chaos, what was wrong with this man? The bit of cloth looked like the most ridiculous response to everything she felt — her home torn away, her people dead, everything that had come down on her even in her less awful fate in the red light district. She wiped her own tears and turned away.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel woke up to blinding sunlight and to the wrong familiar place. Rather than Rita's office, he still was in Bacchus's carriage. When had he fallen asleep?

"Charioce survived, just to get that out of the way," Rita said somewhere behind him. "The surviving hostages got away into the slums, for the most part. There were members of the rebellion who brought in a lot of them, if I'm not mistaken."

So, it _wasn't_ over. Nina had failed.

"Why are we here?"He pushed back up on his elbows. The old undead demon sat in a corner of the carriage and Rita's ravens perched around a visibly uncomfortable Hamsa. On the parallel couch lay Nina, fast asleep still.

"The slums are buzzing with talk of the dragon who saved them, and the place is swarming with knights. I had my servants pick up a few things to treat you here."

"Did you see Mugaro?"

"He insisted on going shopping, even though we're overflowing with food."

"And the old guy?" Azazel asked. It wasn't usual to see him and Hamsa apart.

"Bacchus went to divert a _problem_ ," Hamsa said. "There's other gods in the city now, scouting for something."

Probably finally getting ready for a move. As long as they kept their inevitable failure out of his way, he didn't care what they did. Maybe Mugaro had seen them and wanted out of the way.

Rita continued treating him and he suffered through it. She very much lived by the creed that gentle doctors make stinking wounds, but he was convinced her own lack of pain swung that too far into the rough direction.

Before leaving, Rita did a quick check on Nina and found nothing wrong. Either she hadn't gotten injured during the fight, or she healed when transforming. Either spelled good news, because she'd be ready for the next move.

Nina's reluctance to join up hadn't been distaste, but inability. Surely there was a way to work around that, given her trigger was abundantly available and he was a personal embodiment of it.

"When's she going to wake up?" Azazel asked. "We need to talk."

"Normally she's up before the dawn," Hamsa said. "But when she turns dragon she sleeps much longer."

Wait a minute ... "She'd changed the other day when I visited too?"

"Yep. We later asked her about the dragon thing later and she wouldn't tell us why, exactly, but I don't think it was good. The guy thing flusters her, this was different. You know anything about that?"

"No." _Oh chaos please let there be ways to turn her into a dragon that weren't so horribly degrading._

Not that he couldn't handle a little awkwardness if it was necesary. He just needed to work on his serenity. Azazel had once seen Lucifer go for five years with the same expression, it couldn't be that hard for just five minutes. He'd work on it.

The door swung open. In stepped Mugaro not with groceries, but a cloaked visitor.

"Lord Azazel! I can barely believe it, you really are here!" Belphegor slipped in and closed the door. "We didn't find a trace of you elsewhere and then I saw the child ... you really are allied with gods? This is ... "

She trailed off as she looked around at the colorful inside. The magical lamp caught her attempts and she tapped it with her fingers, causing it to swing. She smiled as if it was something valuable.

Only then did she looked at the other residents. The still sleeping Nina passed her notice quickly, as she knelt before Hamsa.

"Hey, miss ... " Hamsa said, nervous.

"Bel ... " She stared at Hamsa. "Are you ... why are you a duck? You are a god, true?"

"Of course I am a god! I was simply reincarnated this way, but that makes no difference to my nature!"

"I always just thought gods were very flashy," she said. "Not that I've seen many, but their emmisaries were."

Hamsa puffed up. "Excuse me, we're just holding back for the sake of mortals. You have no idea how _flashy_ my real form is!"

"It's a giant duck," Azazel said, because he had a reputation as a wicked demon to uphold. "He even blows up the stupid crown."

Hamsa huffed and Belphegor chuckled. He wasn't sure at whom. For a demon, she took the presence of gods very lightly.

She sat on the one empty couch, careful as if it might sting and never really relaxing.

"Since you freed me, I have joined the resistance," Belphegor said. "I wanted to ask you why you have not been part of it when you are dedicated to the wellbeing of your people?"

"Is that guy Dante still running it?"

"Yes. He's been very helpful, but how does that have to do with your absence?"

"Dante couldn't be of use for what I did before as the rag demon. Regular demons like him and you couldn't possible keep up, but for where we are headed, I will need the help of the resistance. The dragon alone is powerful, but cannot fly. We need to get to Charioce before he can get away."

"So you'll join us?" She looked so elated, it was undemonic. "Who else will? The dragon belongs to some kind of beast master, right? Some people spotted a small figure nearby, and the dragon took care not to hurt any demons even as it laid waste to the humans. It must be an amazing control they have, because the figure was only about the size of a child!"

"You have a report on what the dragon did?" She nodded, confused. "Tell me as much as you can."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina woke up in the familiar brightness of the carriage, though things smelled unusually decaying. The cawing of Rita's ravens drew her out of sleep entirely. She tried to sit up.

"You saved me yesterday."

Azazel? She turned over and there he was, on the other couch. No shirt, just bandages, looking very f—nope, not doing this again. She huddled back in her blankets and faced the wall.

"Did I save the others too?"

"A lot of them. We don't have a count yet," he said. "Charioce is alive though. What went wrong?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"That I _don't know_. I can't remember and I'm pretty sure I can't reason as a dragon all that much either. When I become a dragon I lose my mind and I can't remember anything I do."

"You spared the demons and targeted Charioce, that much we know. And he got away, probably because you let Kaisar live. He saved Charioce."

Now the biting tone wasn't lost on Nina, not after years of disappointment people had in her. "I'm sorry."

"Just how sensitive is that, uh, trigger anyway?"

"Well, if I looked at you now, I might just turn into a dragon again."

"That _would_ be a problem."

Nina heard ruffling of cloth. As she looked over her shoulder, Azazel had pulled one of the blankets all over himself. He'd crossed his arms under the sheet from the looks of it. She imagined him looking very miffed, causing a giggle to escape.

" _What_? I'm fixing the problem. We're not done talking. What exactly are you? Some kind of shapeshifter mage, or are you cursed?"

Hmm, what to say? Her people lived in secret for a reason, but those reasons was the human. Azazel wasn't likely to be a threat more than Rita was, he'd never sell her out to any knights.

"I'm not a demon, and this isn't a spell I cast on myself. I'm from a tribe of sapient dragons. Transformation is part of our nature."

"Dragons living together?" Azazel said. "I never heard of that."

"You wouldn't have, we're really good at being a secret. We got to be. Not so secretive though that I couldn't be born. See, my mother's a human. I'm half blood. I've got all the strength of a dragon, but I can't transform at will. I only transform when I intensely feel certain things that are kinda the stuff that pushes other thinking away, and, uhm ... the most frequent of that is getting heartbeats over pretty guys. It's weird, isn't it? I know it's weird, but I can't do anything about it. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"That you turned into a dragon?"

"No! That it's because of, you know. Hot guys."

"Can you be summoned?"

That's all he had to say, after she poured out her secrets? It stung a little, but at least he wasn't making fun of her.

"No, I don't register as a dragon in the arcane system enough, that's why I'm even allowed to run all over the place. I can't get caught up in any summoning spells even by chance. That's really about the only advantage I have. I'm such a mess, I don't think I'll be very useful."

"That's not so," he said. "If you can't control yourself, I'll control you instead."

"Ha? What do you mean?"

He leaned onto his side, reaching out his clawed hand, and the blanket fell off and _spirits why did this have to be one of the things turning her dragon why_. "Let my touch lead you to peak."

Oh no. Nooo, not here not now. Scales pressed through her skin and her spine tingled, ready to grow a tail.

"Stop talking so weird!" she shrieked. "I'll turn into a dragon if you don't stop."

"Please not now." So blasé. "Is getting annoyed with boring talk one of your other triggers, or what?"

Did ... did he not know what he sounded like?

"No! The others are ... more difficult. You can't do those." Maybe he could, but she didn't really want him to try now or any time.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Now ... now what? He was asking questions as if she'd agreed to join, but had she? She supposed she had jumped into the fray for the demons, it wasn't a weird idea.

The door opened and Mugaro entered.

"Did you show her the safe route?" Azazel asked.

"Hey, Mugaro!"

Mugaro smiled at them both, and nodded at Azazel.

"Anyone else see you?" He shook his head.

"Good." Azazel got up and grabbed his shirt, while Nina quickly turned away. "Mugaro, stay with the doctor. _Don't_ follow me. Got it?"

What?

"You're leaving Mugaro?"

But he was already out the door. Spirits, that man was impossible in more than one way.

 **· · · · · · ·**

A soft hum sprang to life as the machine geared up on her magical fire. Belphegor took a step back and enjoyed the warm orange glow filling the glass house. Inside was nothing but puts on shelves, but that would change soon.

Dante walked by her room and she dragged him in to show off. "Look, I have it working. We'll have our own food soon!"

He managed a wrinkled smile, clearly not believing this would work. "I thought the glass only worked with a sun around."

Point, as they were inside a cave, which was why she'd be channeling some of the local magical water here soon.

"I got word from Olivia's faction," Dante said. "They don't want to come to Anatae without proof Azazel's presence means something, or whether he's even really here. Azazel wasn't known for his care."

"He _will_ be," she said with utmost confidence.

"Perhaps," Dante said. "Altogether it's strange how things change. It's only been short years, but I'd settled into it being longer. Everything has been centuries for me, why wouldn't the reign of mankind be? Yet here after a mere five years, we might reclaim our lost freedom on the back of only Azazel and a nameless beastmaster? Where do we even go, if next week the king is dead and the kingdom ours?"

"I do not know," she said. She had many ideas on what she'd like humankind to be, that had been her thing for centuries, but actually putting them to fruition hadn't been a realistic expectation.

Dante faced her. "Belphegor, you handled last night pretty well. More will join now we have hope. I will need a second in command. Will you?"

"I would be honored," she said. And a little overwhelmed. Here she might have a position of power at long last to _do_ something with those ideas.

With a grin, he clasped her shoulder. "We're ramshackle, so I can't adjust your name or give you any new curses, but I'll have it known you are to be obeyed."

There were only twenty of them, Dante didn't need a second in command yet, but once the resistance grew ... Then Belphegor could worry about how Dante's choice was entirely based on how she was the nearest person who hadn't slumped into complacent acceptance of how futile their resistance was, rather than any leadership skills.

The first steps were small.

Over the years, the demons had burrowed deep below Anatae, the way they had dug out their homes in hell. In earlier times, the tunnels had been collapsed by the humans, but this led to instability above. Burrowing was technically forbidden, but one just had to avoid being caught. Keep the tunnels stable and humans no longer searched for them. Their savior here was Arachna, who could spin and craft rock covered webs to conceal extra tunnels, solid enough to fool humans but easy enough to remove for a demon. This allowed them to gather with lights on, make plans undisturbed, store things, even as the slums were occasionally scourged.

As first step to her position, she gathered up all their members, save the guards, into the makeshift mesh hall. It really was little more than a damp cave near the foundations of the other walls. She told who ever would hear what she knew of Azazel's actions, so by the time everyone had gathered the hall was buzzing with excited whispers.

"Azazel really was here?"

"I did see him at the arena, I told you!"

"You mean all along he's been fighting for us?"

"I met the rag demon when he broke open the trade post I was at! To think it was lord Azazel all along."

Dante stood at the speaker's platform with a dim smile on his face, waiting for Eligos. When the named stepped into the hall, Dante pulled him near the platform and said, "Ah, there my adviser is."

"I'm an advisor now?" Eligos groaned. "This crap is really getting to your head already."

"Oh come on. You have these great skills, put them to some use. I know adviser is a step down from minister of warfare, but we have to make do."

"I don't know, our ranks are a little out of sway," Eligos said dryly. "I suppose we could have new ranks now things have changed."

Between them, not much had changed. The familiarity between old friends stood out, and Belphegor felt a tad like an outsider.

Where Dante was a broad, powerful gray man weathered by war, Eligos was a pale man with sleek black hair and no horns, master of rooms and plans. If his eyes hadn't been pitch black, one might mistake him for a very pale human.

Dante had founded the resistance, but without anything to organize, Eligos had joined only to hide. As a strategist and the equivalent of a knight in Cocytus, he was wanted by humans. After hopping cities trying to find a way back into hell, he'd arrived here at some point. He'd looked like crumpled paper drifting through halls before, now he looked steady.

Belphegor recited to herself she had a place here too, now. Operating alone had always been her way, but now she took position at Dante's other side.

Azazel had said he would come after catching up with the dragon. He didn't let himself be awaited long.

Soon Azazel was led into the hall by Adva, who made herself small as soon as possible while Azazel remained in a beam of light, clear to all eyes. He stood tall and proud, the bandaids on his face doing little to nothing to mar the hope of a savior.

Yet, just as he opened his mouth to speak, Dante spoke up. "You are alone?"

"Yes," Azazel said, a little prickly. "I am here to get your help. We will overthrow Charioce on the festival of victory, when they dare to celebrate our fall. You will all get ready to reclaim the pride of our nation. We will trample of their arrogance when they think they are at their peak. Charioce will die in my hands knowing he cannot subjugate demonkind."

Weak cheers errupted, caught between euphoria and a deeply ingrained need to be quiet down here.

Eligos said in a most drawn out tone, "Realllly? During this festival, there's one point to catch the king, which I shall presume you mean. The parade. That's it, right?"

"Of course."

"You want to attack a heavily guarded parade full of fresh soldiers, when we could be attacking right after one of their raids left them exhausted?"

Oh. Belphegor had to admit that of all the parades they could choose, the celebration day was the most inconvenient one.

"Furthermore, we know absolutely nothing about this dragon," Eligos droned on. "Who summons it? How well trained is it? What are its limits? Really, everyone? Are we going to simply let this brat walk in here, dictating what we are to do?"

"I am Lucifer's second in command for a reason!"

"Oh yes, you fallen angels stick together of course. With all your power you certainly can afford friendship politics, but you may have noticed we have a little crisis here. You wouldn't be calling for our help if your dragon alone was enough."

"I have experience with invasions well enough to not hedge my bets." Azazel sounded perfectly strong in conviction, but Belphegor gave pause now. The rest of the hall likewise wasn't as enthusiastic anymore. It spurred Eligos on in his irreverent tone.

"Yes, Azazel trying to overthrow Anatae worked out _so well_ last time. Let's entrust our fate to the guy who kept flying into the fire of Jeanne d'Arc and threw a whole army to die onto Anatae's walls. I happened to have questioned the soldiers returning from his invasion on Anatae, and I believe there was something about being hit by Jeanne d'Arc while being a clear target and not mounting any counter attack?"

"Honestly, I was there," a small voice came from the crowd. Azazel glared at the speaker, but Eligos gestured for the demon to stand and continue. "Uhm, he was playing with some humans. He didn't even notice the saint was there even after she killed Pazuzu."

A discontent murmur went through the crowd. Cheer quickly turned to questions on whether Azazel could even be trusted.

"Yes, indeed. I did mark up Azazel as someone to be very cautious about with entrusting armies," Eligos said, giving a meaningful look at Dante.

Dante stepped off his rock and crossed his arms, eyes locked with Azazel. Tension filled the air now, as it became clear Dante wasn't going to back off of his barely held leadership now. "Eligos has a point. You just show up and say you can use that dragon? Why didn't you just use it right away, rather than get beaten up first? The survivors say the dragon didn't even arrive till you got thrown off the scene."

"Lord Azazel, surely if there is a summoner somewhere, we can meet them?" Belphegor said. "We would have to include them in our plans regardless of what reasons you and them might have to be secretive."

"Exactly," Arachna muttered from her corner. "Summoning dragons is risky business, one never knows what they're gonna get unless one has the right name, and unlike our berserkers, they are not trained. Do we even know it's the same dragon each time? Is it a trained dragon at all? Would it turn on us if we become aggressive?"

A silence fell during which Azazel looked a strange mix between deeply offended and very much put on the spot.

"I may guess that this dragon's summoned in some secret ritual that the summoner really doesn't want to share?" Belphegor said.

"... yes," Azazel said through gritted teeth.

"Then arrange a meeting. For all I care the summoner shows up wrapped in sheets. We're not doing anything until we know how exactly that deal with the dragon works," Dante said.

Azazel looked more pissed than she'd ever seen him, but did turn back the way he'd come. "Meet me at the old quarry this evening."

 **· · · · · · ·**


	5. Burden

**· · · · · · ·**

Rita said no to taking in El, of course. No ceremony about it. She took a few notes on Nina's appetite and sleep pattern, confirmed she was alright, then left with the words to tell Azazel to pay her for babysitting or sod off.

Honestly, he preferred that. Rita was not only moody, but also busy. Nina was the opposite now. Perhaps too much. She pulled out some board games and talked about home and things she liked, went on at length about some guy she hoped would come for a rematch, and had not a squeek for what she planned to do now her goal of sending money to her mother was met. Fantasizing about marrying the aforementioned guy didn't count.

It could've gone on like that all day, if not for an approaching argument outside between Bacchus and someone else.

A feminine voice spoke in lowered but harsh tone, " _No_. Your carriage wasn't anywhere to be found last night while a high end demon and a dragon attacking the king. What is going on?"

"Nothing is going on. We just went out of the way cause we didn't wanna get caught up!"

"Really? Let me see what your bounty machine prints."

The door swung open. In stepped a woman with disarrayed pink hair and commoner's clothing, yet the aura of a god. When she faced him, he was sure. This was the angel who had once dropped down on his mother's farm.

Nina perked up. "Hello, miss. Are you a friend of Bacchus and Hamsa?"

"Hardly," she said, her eyes locking on El. She froze, doubtful but not outright recognizing her. He smiled at her, but made no move to clarify he knew her.

Bacchus stepped between him and the angel. "Hey kids, why don't you go grab lunch?"

"Who are they?"

"Just some brats I took in to help out. There's a festival soon and I want some extra cash."

"Really? Heaven's salary is not enough?"

"Well ..."

"Uh, don't we—" Before Nina got any further, El pulled her out the carriage. Hamsa threw out one of her larger bags, heavy with her wallet.

"Oh, okay." Hopefully that meant she had to be quiet about the money situation.

The angel was kind, but would likely take him away. El wouldn't leave Anatae. Azazel was here, and if she was alive at all, so would his mother be. She had spoken nothing but good of heaven, but El had not seen any of it for all of his life. If they loved her, they wouldn't have left her alone. They didn't need her, he didn't need them.

They were on outskirts of the city, and Nina took a turn to the city center. "I know a nice restaurant or two, but ... Do you have any friends we could have lunch with?"

El wasn't close enough to call them friends, but he knew their names at least because they'd personally told him.

Five children lived together within a small room at the edges of the slums, still a group since Azazel had freed them. Prior to losing his voice, he'd been able to interact a little with them. His mates in the slaver's cage : Siem, Arai, Kiprio, Otyan and Daurre.

"Hello, I'm Mugaro's new friend!" Nina said, bursting into the room. "Who wants to go get fancy lunch and some nice clothes with us?"

Having a bright bundle of apparent humanhood break into in their home left them searching for words. Mugaro couldn't do much other than nod at the friend claim and give assuring smiles, but even if he could talk, how would he even begin to explain Nina?

El waved at them, which set them a little at ease.

"Uhm, in the upper city?" Arai asked.

"Of course, that's where the good stuff is."

Arai shook his head fiercely. "No, there's bad humans there."

Nina hunched down on the dirty floor. "You'll be with me, it's safe! I promise. Can I have your names?"

Otyan and Daurre stayed put, but Siem and Kiprio stood up. One a little girl with tiny horns and short beige hair, the other a stern boy not much older with red hair and cut horns.

"I'm Siem," she said.

"Kiprio," the boy said. "You said fancy lunch?"

Nina nodded with a bright smile.

"The grumpy guy isn't around either," Kiprio said. "Okay, where's the food?"

"In a restaurant up there. I'm also buying you new clothes, you gotta come to the store to try them."

"Uhm, okay."

Daurre muttered it wasn't safe. He had a bandage around his arm and Mugaro could imagine why. He himself wasn't too sure of Nina's plan, but he also wanted it to go right. Just once pretend there was no rift between the realms.

On the way up, Nina asked, "So, how'd you meet Mugaro?"

"She was with us in the cages," Kiprio said.

"It was really weird, actually. She didn't come in with any of us, we know," Siem said. "The humans thought they'd just missed writing one up, but _we're_ not that stupid. Some of the others said she'd come in with a blond woman who was chased by the black knights. They were pretty sure she smelled human. Mugaro isn't human though."

"You sure? She can't handle fire well," Kiprio asked. They started arguing over this, Siem bringing up his scars and eyes, Kiprio his many vulnerabilities. Mugaro didn't mind they called him a girl, but he didn't like being left out. The kids didn't mean badly, but still, they forgot.

The elevator master stood outside her boot, for once.

"Hey, Seppe and Passant! The elevator is out of commission?" Nina asked.

"After something like last night, it's more likely for humans to come down the stairs to taunt demons," Malphas said. "We normally have a guard for this, but they got taken. They either returned injured, or didn't. So those fleas have the misfortune of dealing with me today ... Where are you taking those kids?"

"I wanted to show them around the city."

"You're nuts," Divesepid said.

"It'll be okay, we're just visiting some places I know are good."

"If you lead a mob here, we close off this stairway and the elevator stops, and warn the other stairways guards to do the same. Just so you know."

"Got it!" Nina said so brightly, it was infectious.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"We did that," Dante said. "Why did we do that? Eligos, this is your fault!"

"You've very welcome," Eligos said with a small smirk.

"That was the right hand of Lucifer. Unlike Lucifer, he has a temper. I have a responsibility for people now, I could have handled that better."

Eligos rolled his eyes. "Dante, he marched in here expecting to be de facto leader yet he turned around without a show of force. We can work with this."

Belphegor scraped her throat.

"Yes?"

"I don't know what you've heard of lord Azazel, but I've seen him hold the trust of children and even of those exiled gods. I do not believe he will be needlessly cruel."

Eligos gave a most sceptical look, but told Dante, "There, that's our current status. We can in all likelihood afford to vex the big shot every now and then. Now chin up before your resistance force."

The rest of the hall's residents had drifted off into chatter of their own, some worried for similar reasons as Dante, others more attuned to Belphegor's mood. The dissaray confused her — when they finally had hope, why was there so much doubt?

Eligos leaned over. "Dante, get their attention and then give me the word, okay? I'm about to ramble some useful details."

Dante did as asked. When all faces were back to their little platform, Eligos sat at the edge of it. Smaller than Dante, but also closer to the crowd.

"Everyone, I'm Eligos, and I say if one of the princess had not gotten fed up with me pointing out the stupidity of his plans, hell would not have fallen. I hope you're all wiser, so let me ask a question I have a question. Five years ago, why did hell fall to humankind?"

"They were stronger," someone said.

"Do you know what minister of warfare and strategy entails in a kingdom where all the leaders are so much stronger than the citizens? Strategy is only for when someone is bored. I'm a farce. Yet, a human who's been on the throne a mere two years and even lacked the education since birth of usual human kings, he comes into Cocytus with an army bearing only a unique magic. Regardless of his power, we should have won with clever use of teleportation, physical traps, fortification, and throw in some poison gases that human are not immune to. Or stoke the fires a little more or collapse the caves. Humans tend die without air. Chaos, we didn't even have proper walls or gate blocks in place. If we'd had just that, we could've trapped the humans there and starved them to death, then raised the corpses and turned them against their leaders. Why did hell lose?"

"All they had to _be_ was a little stronger."

"You, stand up," Eligos said. "Your name?"

"I'm Nishaol." A pale woman with dark brown hair and small horns jutting, clad in crude mercenary material. "I agree with you, our organization depended too much on the powerful elite."

"Good, now we're getting somewhere. What are your abilities?"

"I don't have much magic, so before my capture I was a mercenary for the lower castes. I can work alone and in groups, though I do not have extensive experience with the latter. Organization was discouraged by the leaders of my tribe, if they must be called that. They didn't think of us as a threat, they just saw us as infringing their leader image. So I've had to specialize in stealth operations rather than open warfare. I've had some success at assassination."

"Tccht, yes, I've encountered similar. Nishaol, I'll be questioning everyone on their skills and send those who claim they can fight to you. Test them and report to me. Next up : if the resistance grows, we need not only more food, but enough to keep in peak shape for combat."

"I've got a growth house running," Belphegor said.

"Do you have actual experience growing things too?"

"Uhm ... not, but ... alright, I don't. I thought I'd have time to learn."

"Anyone here who can handle that?"

Belphegor couldn't judge the candidates who offered at once, so let them report to her later. For now, she wanted to hear Eligos out. The knowledge was out of her domain, but no less interesting for it.

Eligos fell into his role as educator. He went into detail on limiting raids, the need for shelter, expanding what Arachne did and testing her potential, the potential for human contacts, obtaining Rita's loyalty, smuggling demon doctors into the city, winning the alliance of the rebellions in other provinces, locating specific demons with useful magic, giving everyone proper training. The longer Eligos spoke, the more unease settled in her gut. She herself had been one of the princess of hell, often deeming herself a misfit for her interests. It hadn't occurred to her before, or even after the fall of Cocytus just how little she knew about her realm's dynamics, its people or its potential. It wasn't that hell was bland compared to inventive humankind, hell was simply arranged too much by power alone.

Dante grew quiet as herself. Did he too realize how unprepared they were, how shaky hell had always been? She would ask, but this was not the time.

"Last, we have to prepare for the aftermath. If we do win and succeed at taking over the capital, we need to handle any other province read to overthrow us. They'll either declare independence or send their armies to liberate the capital. The king's death will not be complete victory. See humans do not have the kind of strong differences in power level depending on individual. They can't just wipe their hands and mow down a mob with their own strength, so they have their strength from the organization we lack. This I do not know how to handle yet, but I recommend we find ourselves human allies somehow."

"You say we have to act more like humans." The one who had spoken was a female orc. Of all those assembled, she was one of the few without a face to match humankind. Hers was of an animal humans kept for the meat.

For the first time, Eligos softened his tone. "Yes, unfortunately. It won't be easy, and we should not to let their thinking overtake us, but we must change. Let's do it in a way that's better than where we came from, and where we are now."

Eligos gave a short nod at Dante, who stood up and said, "That's it. Everyone get to what he assigned you do. I will check up on progress and arrange materials."

He made a quick retreat. Belphegor hesitated to follow him and Eligos. She wanted to go to her projects, but no. Better check up on them, if she was to be a second in command.

Dante and Eligos had a smaller backroom behind an extra thick webbed door. Here, charts were pinned to the wall depicting the city, trade routes, guard routes and a number of worn down magical artifacts. Most were useless or depleted of magic; a reminder of how little they had to work with.

They didn't speak. Eligos had lost the confident air and drank tea from a cup in unsteady hands, while Dante sat back in a wide, probably stolen fancy chair. She sat down on table.

"You sounded borderline blasphemous, Eligos," Belphegor said, more thoughtful than accusative.

"Thank you," Eligos said.

"I noticed a distinct lack of plans to get aid from other demon lords," she said. "Wouldn't asking Azazel about reinforcements get us more than all this?"

"Lucifer and the others in the fridge, they just don't care," Eligos said. "Leviathan receded into the oceans. Mammon, Abaddon and Asmodeus were purchased by rich humans, even if they would sympathize now or desire vengeance, we couldn't get to them easily."

"Right." Dante ran a hand over his face. "Makes sense. Why do I ever bother being the leader if you have this all figured out?"

"Cause I'll be eaten alive. I know what to do, not how to do it. Especially not the people thing. You know, before I got here, I was with Olivia." Eligos crossed his arms now, which pushed up a sleeve. On his arms were scars. "I'd say the reason Olivia and the others don't believe Azazel is here is because if he was, where are all the stories of the capital dressed up in hellfire every other moon? I wouldn't be able to do with her what I did just now. We denied him leadership and it's ... interesting."

Oh. The kind of leaders willing to burn the cities down didn't care to save those captured within it, or for Eligos's logic.

Though, that could be worked around.

"While I do agree that we do not mass murder the humans, I believe we can do a thing or two to knock them down. Have you ever heard of gas bombs?" They shook their heads. "Like explosive spells, but made from matter. I can produce it for others to distribute. I'm out of my elements with chemicals, but I'll learn. We won't need to fight or burn any mobs if they're not moving, after all."

Dante smirked. "Good idea. Bit unconvential, but that's ... not a bad thing. Eligos?"

"I'll add _need to breathe clean oxygen_ to my inquiry list for our warriors."

"Bel, go ahead."

"It will be my pleasure." Truly, there were more things to like about rebellion now than just Azazel's presence. Work, and perhaps also that in small ways, it was rebellion against the old creed. That had always been up her alley.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rather than the usual bustle, people hurried through the streets and cluttered together to whisper and worry. The king had failed to kill the rag demon, and now that terrible dragon nearly got to him. The king had been injured. Would hell at least wreak vengeance on Mysteria?

Too many people saw that hell in Siem and Kiprio, but Nina's cheer also met some friendly hellos. Whether those were less than usual, El couldn't tell.

El kept the kids each by the hand, up until Siem pulled at his arm. "That's her. That's the woman! Right, Mugaro?"

She pointed at a statue before a small church, barely visible through a small alley.

Of course, Nina instantly led where Siem pointed.

On a pedestal was a human woman on unicorn, clad in unique armor and wielding a spear. The face was so true to his mother, the artist must have seen her, though the expression held a harshness he did not know of her. The unicorn trampled over two dying demons. Facing them was a lion like face, teeth bared in a cry of death. On the other side was a four horned humanoid demon, face etched in hatred. His mother had only talked distantly of her past as a knight and her fights against demons. El hadn't though much of it. Bad demons existed as much as bad humans existed, it was a lie they were all bad. But as he looked at the ones his mother had killed, he could at least imagine some of the fear humans had. Of course they'd be afraid, if they thought all demons were like these ones.

"Who's that?" Nina asked a passerby.

"You must be out of town. That is Jeanne d'Arc, our great _slayer of demons_ ," the man said, a sideglance at the Siem and Kiprio, before quickly walking on.

"Jeanne d'Arc? I think I heard that name somewhere before. Anyway, Mugaro, we should show Azazel. Maybe he can help you find her. She's an ally of the demons, right?"

Mugaro grabbed her by the arm and shook his head. What was she thinking, saying this out loud in a human space?

It only confused her. He put a finger on his lips and gestured around the street.

Whether she got it was unclear, because Kiprio spoke up. "I don't think I want to meet a slayer."

Nina hunched down before him. "In the tales of my people we also dread the humans in iron, who treat us like our non-sapient fellows : wild beasts and enemies to safety, even when we're not that. But I bet this lady helped Mugaro somehow if the bad knights chased them, so she can't be bad."

"I guess."

Before they went to a restaurant, Nina brought them to a tailor shop so they'd look nice within the place. Barely had they stepped in, or the owner said, "We'd prefer one didn't bring their slaves out in the open."

"They're not slaves." The man just glared, so Nina's pulled a lot of gold coins from her bloated pouch. "Oh well, I guess I'll go to another store to spend all this money on all the things I'll need extra hands to carry."

"I mean, uhm, I suppose it makes sense one gets whatever extra hands one can acquire on this day, what with people being so afraid to head out."

"Good. Cause I'm going to have a fun day and everyone must look their best."

Siem and Kiprio forgot where they were pretty soon, as the human customers made a point of going out of their way or ignoring them. Mugaro had seen them happy sometimes, when they played. This was more cautious, but also more wondrous. He kept a close eye on them, in case of of the humans did anything to break that.

Nina startled El by popping before him.

"Which do you want?" Nina held out two dresses, one a pale green coat piece and the other blue with pink ribbons.

He blinked. Those were for him?

Just saying he was a boy was easy enough by pointing at the nearest pants and denying the dresses, but ... why though? There were rules about what to wear, but El had not paid them heed for the first four years of his life. Outside of the occasional farmer, he and his mother avoided other people. His mother had called herself a woman of faith, but hadn't ever laid out what El was. It hadn't been important. Rita had called him a boy though, and she probably knew about that sort of thing. Azazel had been unsure at first, but went with what Rita said.

He took the pale green one.

When he emerged from the dressing room, Nina fell around his neck. "You look so lovely, it really fits you better than the drab boys clothes. Do you like it too?"

The mirror said yes.

"Do you want any to try any others?"

Yes.

She got him a whole arm full of dresses she thought he might like. Every time, she asked what he liked, putting him to figure out preferences he'd never had to think about. She assumed he was a girl and ... was he? Life with his mother had been poor, life with Azazel only better because of their gruesome work, which still didn't lend to luxuries like questioning how one fit together. It didn't quite feel wrong though. Maybe it was right. Maybe he ... she'd try it for a while.

Nina paid out half her pocket to the tailor, who complained about inconveniences of demons loudly. Nina left the store having chosen just one dress, a frilly teal one which might've attracted more positive looks on the street if she didn't have two obvious demon children in tow. Siem got herself something of a mix for boys and girls and didn't even care to find out the rules, while Kiprio had a little more down stated clothing, being a little older and expecting things to get dirty. They each had bags of more for themselves and others. And El had a few for himself. Herself. All dresses.

It might've felt nicer if the humans didn't stare even more now.

Almost oblivious to this, Nina dropped by the post office, where she meant to mail some money to her mother. She just kept smiling.

While Mugaro waited outside, the crowd got a little thicker, a little more distant. The eyes got worse. The whispers increased. Faces that had been on the street around the tailor still were, even though they had gone for blocks.

At one point, someone said loud enough for them to hear, "You know, isn't that the foreign pink haired girl girl who just the other day spent an inordinate amount of money on food and medical supplies?"

Once, her mother had warned her to always hide her wings and flight, because once one person knew, soon the entire city could. People liked to talk evil.

 **· · · · · · ·**

When Rita returned from spending Nina's money on rare medicine, she found a very ticked off demon leaning against the back alley wall. He might as well have painted the shadows full black.

"Hey," she said, not even turning her head.

"Where is Mugaro?" he snarled. "I told him to stick with you, but he isn't here."

"I can't take care of a child." The door clicked open and she closed it right behind her. He ghosted right in front of her.

"Answer me!"

Rita would never have picked up, let alone mastered the black bible if she didn't have a curiosity for playing with dangerous things. She waited a beat, before saying, "Is this a joke? Didn't you ask Nina to take Mugaro last night? She did that. Now he lives on her pay check. Whatever your game is, you used to do better."

She knew very well that wasn't what he'd meant. Regardless, it was so good to see see him stumped for a second as he tried to figure out whether he'd actually said it like that. Messing with Azazel was one of the many small pleasures of her life.

"So why did you come here anyway?"

"I need to introduce Nina to the rebellion, so I will leave a message with you. The games are cancelled, I can't wander the city today."

"Ah, you figured out you had to organize." Rita opened a newly aquired jar and shoved a lollipop in Azazel's hand. "As your doctor, I'm proud of your progress in utilizing your brain."

He threw it at her head. "Where is Bacchus's carriage?"

"They had to move since the people of the district got suspicious, they're at the riverside now."

Azazel was about to leave, but Rita said, "Azazel, if this goes through, where will you leave Mugaro?"

"What?"

"If Charioce falls and his kingdom with him, you'll have hell to return to. What about Mugaro?"

"Mugaro comes with me," he said without hesitation.

"All the way to hell? How do you think he'll like it there?"

"If he doesn't want to, he can stay here. Maybe Lucifer will give me the city. I don't mind staying on earth for a while."

"Hmm. And what about the other demons? The ones you're not _willing_ to introduce Mugaro to?"

Azazel tensed up. "They won't defy me in the future. Once it's safe—"

"Hell is never safe from what I hear. A lot of demons only want back to hell cause it's not as bad here as there. Not all loved it, and you alone came here. They're not loved back."

He had nothing to say to that.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Hello, Emeline!" Nina said, then leaned over to Marcio's stall. "And hello to you too, Marcio!"

"Hello, Nina. How's it going?"

"Good. I'd like you to meet my friends, Mugaro, Siem and Kiprio."

"Right, how nice. By the way, Nina, have you heard? That pink dragon appeared again and tried to kill the king! Just last night!" Emeline said.

"Uhhh, yes, I did hear that the dragon went to save the demons he was going to kill," she said, forcing the smile to stay. "Anyway, I'd like to order some long herb bread from Marcio, and some fried bacon from Emeline. The best. To go."

Nina _had_ noticed the crowd. Along with Mugaro's worried looks and the little kids huddling closer, it was probably better not to visit a restaurant. But she would keep her promise for fancy food.

Marcio worked faster than usual, and Emeline grabbed the nearest fried meat — it wasn't bacon — to hand to her in paper.

Behind her someone bumped into Mugaro, who staggered against her.

Marcio cut the bread roughly before handing it to Nina without a word.

"Thank you."

"Maybe she's a demon sent to infiltrate," whispered the man on the other side of Marcio's stall.

"Nina, you better move along," Marcio said. "Don't take me the wrong way but ... this is bad for business."

"Okay."

She stuffed her own bread in her mouth and kept a close eye on the kids, who ate just as hurried. Mugaro handed her food to Nina, both hands instead on the shoulders of the kids.

While she put the spare food in her bag, she kept her eyes on the feet behind them. By the end of the street, Nina was sure a group of at least seven followed them. She sped up pace, but they closed in soon.

The moment they were in street away from the main roads, they spread before them, to their side, and behind. Kiprio and Siem huddled near Mugaro against a wall.

"Hey, little lady. We noticed you have a lot of cash. Care to share with us humans? You seem pretty eager to share with monsters."

This man had hung around the tailor shop around the time they'd left, Nina was pretty sure. "I earned it," she spat. "You're in my way, you know."

"So what about all the people in whose way you are by walking here with that scum?" another man said on the other side.

"Everyone can walk here, it's a public street."

"All _people_ can walk here. Demons don't count, stupid woman." This one she didn't see, he was behind the thickening crowd.

Not all faces where hateful, some even tried to hush the more aggressive people, but the action she expect those people to take didn't happen. Most walked on, leaving the mob.

"Demons do count." Nina crossed her arms. "They walk, they talk, they think just like you all can do."

It seemed so obvious to her. How could they look at children and see only horns?

"No wonder we never heard from your country, where ever that may be. Must be full of people too stupid to live. Demons are evil and those who don't learn that fall to their temptation," yet another man said.

She wasn't wearing foreign clothing right now, but ... she had made a display out of her power in the arm wrestling challenge, and she'd been noticeable at work. Mugaro's warning to keep her voice down came to mind. Oh spirits, had she noticed much sooner than Nina had, that they'd been watching her?

Nina looked around for a way to lead the kids out.

Right then, a rock his Kiprio on the head. A small line of blood flowed down. Nina whipped around, but didn't see who threw it. There were too many people.

"What is wrong with you? He's just a child!"

"He's a demon worm," the first man said, cold, looking down. Nina considered hitting him, but that'd probably only make things worse.

Mugaro stomped on the ground, demanding her attention. Just as she looked, Mugaro walked on with the kids firmly held by the hand. Nina stepped ahead and shoved as the people blocking the path.

The mob followed, their voices growing louder.

"Why are they doing this now?" Nina asked.

"That's how humans always are," Kiprio said.

"I wanna go home," Siem said. "Can we?"

"We should visit Rita first," Nina said. "That cut looks bad."

"I've survived," Kiprio said. "Mugaro, don't bring her again."

"I'm sorry," she said again, but it fixed nothing.

"You should be sorry for bringing that filth on our streets!" someone behind her called.

Just as she looked back, another rock sailed at them. She caught it before it hit Mugaro and threw it to the ground so hard, it echoed through the buildings.

"What do you think you're—"

Pain shot through her head, followed by a trickle down her face. As she brushed her hand over her face, it returned covered with blood.

Another blur next to her, she caught the rock before it hit Siem, but it left her back exposed. A sharp, long pain shot through it; someone had hit her with a staff.

Now the attacker went for the children. Faster than a human Nina grabbed the staff, and splintered it against the wall. A deep growl rolled out her throat. The man backed away, but not quick enough to avoid her punch. He fell back so far, so fast, he tore along two people behind him.

The mob stepped back, but didn't disperse.

"She's not human either!"

"Must be one of those demons who can pass for human if they cut their horns. Wanna bet the remnants are under that headband?"

"Even if it's just those two brat, that's two too many! Get off our streets, you filth!"

Some tore open the streets to get bigger rocks.

The next brick sailed past her. She caught it too, but had more than one place to focus on. The threw more than she had hands to catch. Nina could fight them, but not without leaving the kids unprotected.

Mugaro turned around and pulled Siem and Kiprio close, while casting a desperate look at Nina.

Another brack hit her on the side of the head, but she blocked the next two with her arms. She didn't fall, despite the protests of her back. The smaller rocks she could ignore, but the children yelped every time they were hit even as Mugaro shielded them too.

"Mugaro, can you carry them maybe?" Mugaro picked up Siem and let Kiprio climb on her back. It wasn't easy, but she managed.

Nina found the least dense part of the mob and charged. For a few seconds she went half out, throwing people against others and hitting those who struck at her. This way she plowed a way for Mugaro to run past.

The moment the kids were out of range, Nina stopped and sprinted after them.

Mugaro was fast, despite being out of breath soon from carrying the kids. Nina could keep up, so they lost the mob long before the slums.

They didn't stop till they reached the stairway.

Saphant and Seppe had been right. Facing them now seemed too painful, so she took over Kiprio and they walked down the stairs.

They got Rita to apply bandaids quickly. The kids left with their arms full of the food she should've just given them right away. They didn't look at Nina, but Mugaro gave her a worried look.

"Hey, go with them, have lunch without me. I shouldn't have done this. I thought if I could just show them you're just like other kids, the people would understand they're not different," she said. "I shouldn't have gotten them involved with my stupid little tests. Tell them I'm sorry, okay?"

Mugaro put a hand on her shoulder.

"Really, it's okay. Go. Besides, I better clean this soon." She held up the tip of her new dress, which now had red splatters all over. "Gotta see whether I get these out before it stains. I'll take a while."

Mugaro didn't look convinced, but did thankfully leave. Once alone, Nina did exactly what she said she would : clean the dress. Everything else she might say or do, she kept within her head alone.

 **· · · · · · ·**

There was a freaking angel at Bacchus's carriage. Azazel hid nearby till she left, irritated all along that after all this time he suddenly started entertaining old relations.

"What's she doing here?" he said by way of greeting.

Bacchus shrugged. "Looking for some lost kid. What're you doing here, hmm?"

A lot of bottles on the ground, but neither Nina nor Mugaro.

"Apparently the same. Where are they?"

Right then the door opened again and Azazel tensed up, ready to fight if the angel returned, but it was only Mugaro.

In a dress.

With a bandaid on his face.

Of the struggle which to respond to, the second won out.

"Dammit. Let me see."

Mugaro seemed alright beyond a cut on the face and a bruise on his hand, his smile was the mostly at ease kind. He'd be alright.

Hamsa offered some paper for Mugaro to draw on for the story, but he could guess who had to do with it.

"Mugaro, where's Nina?"

He traced a circle with two dots in the air, a crude sign for a skull, then a house. The zombie's place. Right. He'd be having a word with her.

Mugaro gave that horrible pleading look, which might as well be an advocate's closing argument in itself.

"I'm just getting her into the rebellion," he said. "You stay here."

Only when outside, it crossed his mind Mugaro's timing was a little odd. Had he been hiding from that angel too? How had he known? ... oh well, not important. He had a dragon to chew out. She'd probably done something stupid like play a rough game with that super strength of hers.

Not too long later, he threw open Rita's back door.

" _Where is she_?"

Rita was in the front, but Rocky stood in the hall. Ve crossed vun fingers and gave no directions.

"I know she's still here."

Why even argue with a disembodied hand? A trail of water led from Rocky to the kitchen, so he went there first and threw that door too.

Nina sat on the kitchen floor, back half towards him.

"What the hell did you do with Mugaro?" Somewhere behind him Rita complained, but that didn't matter.

Nina looked up. Her face was half under bandaids and one of her arms had been bandages halfway. Before her was a wide bowl with a dress half in it, its water red with blood that she'd been trying to scrub out.

"Hey, Azazel, you're back already?" She forced a smile.

... dammit. This wasn't some game gone wrong, was it?

"What happened?"

"I ... I made a mistake. I took the kids to the city and ... the people didn't like that. The humans, I mean. It won't happen again, I swear."

She looked like a cat that had fallen into a raging river. Chewing her out for it seemed overkill, but he had no idea how to handle this.

"If you're looking for Mugaro, she's either still with her friends or Bacchus."

Beeline for change of topic.

"What's what the dress anyway?"

"Huh? Oh, I bought us all some nice clothes. Except it didn't turn out so nice. Heh." She resumed scrubbing. "I should ask you too what happened, you know. Why'd you just run off and leave Mugaro behind?"

"You need to come with me. Mugaro stays with the gods, he can't be involved in—"

"She's a girl, you know."

"What? Mugaro isn't ... Rita said ... " He frowned. Heaven had more than two sexes and associated genders, but he hadn't noticed much of that with demons.

"Oh? Well, Mugaro wanted dresses and liked it when I called her a girl. She's a girl or she'd have told me otherwise. She makes everything else clear just fine."

He'd have to cover that later. For now, he had a rebellion to organize.

"Can you get up?"

"Yeah, it's just a few scratches." To demonstrate, she stood up and stretched. "I'm fine. Anyway, about the kids, I was trying to—"

"For what we're doing, you better let go of any nonsense of talking to humans. We're going to overthrow Charioce and you have to—" Rita jabbed him in the ribs from out of nowhere.

"Hey. Ask," Rita said.

He rolled his eyes, but said, " ... will you help kill Charioce if I keep it a secret how you transform?"

"Yes," Nina said without hesitation.

"We keep Mugaro out of it, got it?"

"Absolutely," Nina said. "No getting children involved what so ever."

She said nothing else as he led her to the outer edge of the slums, its east peak. Above the wall was the corner of the riverside road and the edge of the human houses.

The sun had yet to set, but the place was deep enough below the walls it might be night here. He'd chosen the location cause he wanted to turn Nina into a dragon, well out of sight. The resistance wasn't here yet, but others had been.

Someone had dumped corpses here and then collapsed one of the walls on it. Prints of wyvern feet were in the earth. The knights had been here, disposing of those who had died last night. Azazel clenched his fists, willing the rage down. Of course demons got no burial like humans, didn't even need it, but that they put corpses here? Mockery, probably justified with some stupid reason like keeping the scenery clean.

There were a few other wide cavities without bodies, he chose the furthest. Dante and the others would find them easily enough. He considered meeting them ahead, but wasn't sure what way they'd go.

Nina sat down on a rock, staring at the ground with a somber look. When she had this mood, she didn't seem so young anymore. Almost ... worn down, in the way some of the most down beaten demons were.

She started scratching at one of the bandaids on her arm.

"You got injured from having rocks thrown at you?"

"Shouldn't I?"

It sounded too human, but granted, many lower ranked demons had similar weaknesses now he thought about it. A lot of his own invulnerability came from his divine heritage.

"I figured your dragon heritage gave you superior endurance."

"I am stronger than humans, but I'm still just a physical being. I wouldn't survive a fraction of the fall I saw you survive last night either as dragon or human," Nina said. "It's not being half human, in case you think that. If anything heavy falls on me as human I need to use my magic counter strength or I'll be squashed. We're as vulnerable to being stabbed as any ordinary human. It's kind of amazing, all the things you can survive just innately."

"You have some extra power even in this shape though. Show me."

"What for?"

"I want to figure out what will happen if we are raided and you can't transform."

"You could just say that and ask me," she grumbled. Still, she went to a nearby rock taller than herself. She grabbed it on the top, heaved it out and staggered around to find balance below it. At some point physical strength stopped mattering against mass. It shouldn't have worked with how tiny she was, so there had to be some kind of innate magic like his own at work.

"See? Easy, as long as I got my hands below it. It's more difficult though if it's got momentum, so it's still gonna hurt if I fall and put my hands below me. Why are you so surprised?"

Azazel's limit for how much he could carry and how he counteracted gravity were well below that. She was also a tad faster than him, from what he recalled during her weeks chasing him. Yet ordinary rocks cut her skin and falling down hurt her.

He picked up a discarded metal rod and stabbed it through his torso. Nina yelped and the rock fell behind her, but before she could do anything he pulled it out and the hole sealed.

"You can do things I can't, yet you're vulnerable to things I brush aside.

"Oh." She took a step closer to see ... and poked him. "Every your clothes are fixed."

He batted her hand away.

"Pick that rock back up and throw it at me."

She picked it back up, but waited. "Are you sure?"

"There's no magic to it, I can handle it," Okay so it would absolutely hurt if it hit him, he just pulled together.

"Okay then."

The rock sailed at him with an impressive arc. Azazel balled his fist and hit it right at the center, splitting it into pieces. The pieces fell all around, far enough even beyond Nina.

"Oh spirits, that's amazing! How did you do that?"

"The same way you did, but with a different magic focus. You have push and pull and something that negates gravity in a way different than my wings. Can you break those rocks?"

She shook her head.

He threw up the rod and broke it apart with one of her dark serpents.

"Are the full bloods of your kind able to break rock or metal?"

"Uh ... " She turned away; the blushing had come back at last.. "No, I have the same strength as ll the other ones, technically. It's the transition stuff I have the most problems with."

"Any other dragons of your kind inclined to help out?"

"I don't think so. To be honest, I was slightly very much breaking the rules of showing strength a lot. We remain hidden exactly because we don't want the world to find out we exist and think we're a threat. All humans need is a single summoning circle to isolate us. It's especially easy to strike us down when we're in human shape. Y'know, they only really even let me go outside the protected zone is cause me being a halfblood, I can't be summoning with any existing circle. So no trapping me in poison gas rooms or setting up spike traps over the circle."

"You're vulnerable to poison too? You're barely more than a damn human."

She glared at him. Without a word, she lifted another rock. "Azazel, catch!"

He just broke it again.

"That's not catching."

"Don't disrupt me, I'm trying to—" And there was another giant rock.

"You _can't_ catch it, do you?"

Oh, like he was going to let her win.

"I was just unprepared, like with the Onyx Knights. Try me again, girl."

"You'll be out of your league for a long time, you know. I've had to become very good at playing ball from the ground."

With an insufferably cocky grin, she picked up another gaint rock and hurled it twenty meters to his left. He'd expected her to aim at him. Crap.

Out came the wings as the next one went to his right. Before it hit the wall he blocked it, but was unable to actually hold it without being pulled down entirely. He could not carry things heavier than himself, but if she could, then he should too.

"No using wings, I can't grow those in this shape." And she threw the next one.

Fine. No wings to hold it up.

He used his wings only to get before the next rock, got himself under it, tried, really tried to envision his power manifesting as a lift ... and failed. He just got pulled along as the rock collided with the walls, bringing everything down on him.

He punched his way out, sending a spray of rocks all over the place.

Nina clapped. "Can you teach me how you do that?"

"What?"

"The breaking thing. If I get buried I can dig myself out but I can't make such explosions. Can you tell me how, please? I'll help you with lifting things as soon as I know how do my grounding thing."

She just stood there eyes averted, kinda red, hands clasped behind her back. No dignity, didn't even know the proper way to address a demon of his class, couldn't even control her form and he was above doing this. She'd challenged him. Who went from that to admitting they needed help? And expecting him to give it? Really, the nerve.

Also, he had no idea how to explain it.

He picked up a rock and said, "See your strength as a blade. Not hands lifting things. Make it sharp. Concentrate all that force on a single point through your hand."

He threw the rock and she hit it flat with her palm. It bounced off.

Ugh.

Flying over, took her arm and directed her fingers flat, pinky on the surface of the nearest rock. She got very red, which he was quickly learning set her on the way to dragonhood.

"Eyes on the rock, not your hand," he said. "Nor me."

"But you just said I have to focus on my hand!"

"Do you have to envision your hand moving every time you want to?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure that's only cause I learned it all as a kid. This is new."

"I can see why you can't even control your natural dragon power," he muttered.

"Yes, I'm not good at this, I know. But it's only been a minute, maybe this isn't like with my dragon shape. Can we try again?"

"No. The others will arrive soon, I don't have time for this." For all he knew, she just played difficult cause she wanted to be near him.

He walked away to see whether the others were.

"Azazel, catch and _ground_!"

He swung around and found another massive rock sailing at him. She'd thrown it off to the side, so he had to dodged aside to put his hand below it. Gravity meant he toppled over instantly.

"See, that's something you can't learn easily."

"I'm not a cargo demon," he growled. "Carrying things wasn't ever necesary for my work."

"So what kind of work did you do then?"

"None of your business." As he scrambled up he threw a rock at her, aiming not above but to her stomach. She caught it between two hands, smirked and hurled it right back, as intended.

This time he caught it within a field of telekinesis. This was a limited power he didn't use that often since it took a lot of energy and focus, but it also shut her up.

Mostly. She came to his side and looked at the space between his hands and the rock. He gave a cocky smirk, but rather than oohing again, she poked his hand. Then his arm, then his hand again. He started to lose focus just because of how irritating it was.

"Will you stop that?"

"I'm trying to see whether I can sense the magic. You grabbed me a lot so I thought that touching people randomly is just what's normal for demons," she said. "If it's not, stop doing it."

"Hmmmph."

She leaped back to her early spot and picked up another rock. This one was bigger than her again. "Let's see what you can catch with that power."

Of course. "Bring it."

Right then, Dante, Belphegor and Eligos appeared around the corner. In the moment of distraction the rock collided full for with him, sending him into the wall, which of course collapsed on him a bit more. Only his wings stuck out.

He wrestled out as quick as possible and stood straight, but it was too late. They'd seen. Dante had a skeptical glare, Belphegor giggled and Eligos addressed Nina with, "Even if your dragon proves uncontrollable, you're hired."

Azazel tried to speak, but couldn't. A swallowed bit of gravel itched in the back of his throat, forcing out a coughing fit.

Nina slapped him on the back. His wings floofed out, but the gravel didn't.

"Azazel! You can't die from choking, right?"

"Nah, he's a fallen angel," Dante said.

Eligos chuckled. "He needs the air to talk though, so maybe leave it in."

Nina had him harder and this time it worked. The treacherous rock shot out and landed before the trio, who made admirable efforts not to laugh. To make it worse, Nina started rubbing his back. He shoved her away with a wing and stood up.

"This is her," he muttered redundantly.

"I'm Nina Drango," she said. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Dante." He gave her a confused look.

Belphegor held out her hand for a human greeting. "And I'm Belphegor. We're so glad to have you with us."

Nina happily shook hers. "I'll be happy to join you, but please don't take me as representative for my tribe. I'm doing a little rebellion right now."

"A little of _teenage_ rebellion," Eligos muttered. "Lord Azazel, this is barely more than a child. Dragon or not, young people have a poor record in war by my experience."

"I'll be 22 soon! I can handle this. I just look a little younger cause my people age weird, I swear."

"I don't care how old you are as long as we overthrow Charioce. What brought you to Anatae other than your own rebellion?" Dante asked.

"I didn't rebel by leaving, just by agreeing to go dragon outside my home. I left cause I tried to earn money for my mother, but I got caught up with the knights and then Azazel saved me when I fell off that tower," she said. "So, wanna see what I can do?"

Eligos held up a hand and looked around. "What's the size of your dragon?"

"I think almost as tall as the average building with a stretched neck?"

"Likelihood of wandering out of cover from this place?"

"That can definitely happen," Nina said. "Also I smelled blood back there. I'm an obligate carnivore as dragon so that could be a problem."

"Great planning, Azazel," Eligos said. "Miss Nina, we'll arrange a better place to see your dragon later. Would you come with us?"

That was apparently good enough for Nina to consider herself part of the team. By the time they passed Arachna's first door, Nina had pulled them into chatter that was half nonsense, half history. Belphegor was a scientist with too much goals, and Dante had a lost love he tried to find, and Eligos wanted his own domain to retire to. Azazel wasn't familiar with being left out and somehow not in attention at all.

Rounding past the third and final spiderweb door, he saw Nina go ahead with Dante and Belphegor. The door slammed shut and Arachna sealed it. Eligos stood against the wall.

"A word with you, lord Azazel. What is your problem?"

"Mind your tongue."

"Mind your soldiers if you want to win this. You see an injured ally and play games?" Eligos hissed. "You wanted to have her summon that dragon in that small space too?"

"She knows her limits."

"You know this because she _said_ she's fine, I bet. Sure. That must mean it's true. It's not like people might claim they're fine because their superior expects them to be fine for unreasonable nonsense," Eligos said.

"Hmmph."

"And another thing. I've been told you are on talking terms with gods. Why did you not bring them? We can use any ally we get, even holy ones."

Azazel really wanted to put Eligos in his place, but he had a point here too. He took a deep breath. The pride of demons would soon be regained, and he had already made several concessions to survive here. "I didn't bring them because they're being pestered by an angel. They'll be here."

Probably. Bacchus and Hamsa were on his side on little more than a flimsy alliance from long ago, and Rita's association. Convincing them might not be as easy as with Nina, though ... if Nina could convince them to let her move in, perhaps she could pull them in.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 _Dear self. Next time wear a fucking helmet._

His head pounded and the piercing light did not help. Charioce turned over in bed, away from the source. He considered punishing who ever thought it was a good idea to have the windows open while the sun was doing its thing. Doctors had fussed over him for the remainder of the night, alert at every little potential problem. It was hell. His mother would have done better. Just give him medicine and let him rest. He'd needed three hours and lots of incoherent groaning with some threats to make it clear they had to leave.

Like he'd sleep with anyone in the room, no matter how quiet they were. It was bad enough that that _thing_ was still standing at the end of the bed. In the dawn it stood out even more. A dark purple shadow with a few vibrant parts, worst of it the empty eyes.

A knock on the door distracted him. In leaned a servant who said, "Pardon, my king. The captain of the Onyx Knights wishes to speak to you."

"Grant him entrance." _And for crying out loud, make it quick._

The captain stepped in shortly after.

"With all due respect," he said in a not so respectful tone, "Perhaps next time you might consider moving away from the rampaging dragon at more than a walking pace and maybe look in the direction you're attempting to escape to."

"I understand." Point taken. Rock hard. "What did you come for, other than to lecture me?"

"What should we do with Kaisar Lidfard?"

"The man saved my life. Whatever his deal is, he appears to be to our benefit more than our detriment."

"The reason he vanished the instant he brought you to safety was to channel away our demon captives. He met with a winged demon, who led him to a city gate where other demons received the escaped ones. We lost track of them in the slums, but Kaisar returned to help others escape."

Yes, pretty much what he expected: Kaisar was a hopelessly idealistic fool. Nearly seven years of service and Charioce thought he had him in line better than Jeanne d'Arc, but alas. Those simmering noble tendencies finally peaked out. He was willing to bet it was somehow related to the magenta dragon.

Still, Kaisar was relentlessly loyal and in these unstable times, he needed that. Outing another beloved leader of the Orleans Knights would not go over well.

"Let him be. We no longer needed those demons, while we do need the Orleans Knights not in upheaval. Kaisar is competent. I'm willing to overlook his sympathy for them as long as this does not leak out."

"As you wish." The captain waited for the dismissal, but Charioce didn't give it yet.

The fate of humanity required more than just the defeat of the enemy tribes, he could not afford the collapse of this kingdom at such a crucial time. Perhaps a few metaphorical helmets were in place too.

"Gather up all the remaining male bastards of royal blood." He held up his left arm, the accursed bracelet shining in the sunlight. The phantom glowered. "We need to be prepared in case I do die too soon."

"This would be a bad time to introduce rivals to your court."

"I can handle them. That dragon is what may get to me yet."

That done, he needed something to take his mind off death. Not too long ago, he'd come across something that embodied all the liveliness he'd left behind. Maybe he'd seek her out again, see whether she wore that ring.

 **· · · · · · ·**


	6. Homily

**· · · · · · ·**

The orange glow behind the blanket over her head startled her — had she lost time again, was she home, where — until she remembered where she was. Nina sank back into the pile of blankets and cloth, sinking into the warmth. It was much softer than on Bacchus's sofa, and there was more blankets to hide in than at home.

Home, her mother ... Such a strange place to find herself in. She'd come to hunt bounties, only to join the bounty target. How would she even tell her mother about this? Should she at all?

Discontent now, she sat up.

The cave was dark and most demons still slept, but some huddled close around bright fires. The air was thick and smoky, with the scent of bacon and herbs in it; some of the good bags she'd brought along lay discarded to the side.

One small woman flitted through the room, gathering up discarded blankets away from the fires and cleaning up things. She had wide wings, which she used to carry those blankets. This had to be Adva, whom Eligos had pointed out as one of the few fliers.

Well, might as well get introduced now. Nina got dressed under the blankets and folded some to make the pile more neat, after which she approached Adva.

"Hey, Adva, can I help?"

"No it's fine," Adva whispered.

"Really, let me help. I've done this at home." She started folding blankets, which got no further protest, just a small smile.

"Eligos said that if Azazel isn't around, I should ask you for a flight. Thought you should know that I pass out, trying to wake me up with water or slapping won't work."

Adva paused. "Pardon, what?"

"I'm going to fetch my other clothes later today, can I give you a spare set in case something goes? I know we're all going to be wearing those black cloaks, but you never know."

"Huh?"

"It's really embarassing and all, but I'd rather have it be a girl. Also, I think Azazel's a little embarassed around me, so it'll be easier on him too."

Adva held up a finger. "Should I even be part of this?"

"So I was thinking we should be get to know each other a bit?" Nina held out her hand.

Adva pressed her lips together and quickly shuffled away without another word.

"Did I say something wrong?" Nina asked a redhaired man who stood nearby scraping moss off the walls for some reason. He was a rather pretty one too, so she didn't look too long.

"I'll admit I couldn't follow most of that conversation, but she lost people during the recent slaughter," he said. "Some of us deal with this life by not getting close to others. Is that the right way to say it, Adva?"

"I'm sorry," Nina said. She hadn't been fast enough.

"We didn't find one," Adva muttered. "I looked at all the corpses when they dumped them in the quarry. She's not dead."

"I'm glad, I hope you find her soon."

"I won't. They probably sold her."

Like that was it. She just continued folding blankets, and the guy continued scraping moss. Do something before it got weird.

"We haven't met, what's your name?" Nina asked the guy.

"I'm Kolraun," he said. "It's my job to take care of the plants here, since the lady Belphegor isn't familiar with them."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Nina, it's my job to kill the king."

"I know, and we're glad for it."

"Uhm ..." Adva started, while holding up some of Nina's blankets. There were holes in it.

"Oh, sometimes when I have bad dream, I transform just little bit while I sleep," Nina said. "I chew on stuff or put claws in them."

"Pardon, you said _you transform_?" Kolraun asked.

"I'm the dragon, you know that, right?"

"You _are_ the dragon? You're not a beastmaster?"

Nina quirked a brow. "What _is_ Azazel's deal? I told him not to tell people how I transformed, not _that_ I transformed. Anyway, yes, I'm prone to growing scales, fangs and killing evil knights."

They blinked at her. "Oh ... I think you need to talk to Dante or Eligos. Soon."

"Will do, but breakfast first."

She sat with the demons, learned a lot of names and little details of their life. None of them had had good recent years, and for almost all of them this was their first full stomach in years. Eventually she got even Adva to give a description of her friend, Tipa.

Nina didn't get enough for her monster appetite, but she could handle it. Breakfast done, Nina found Eligos first and had to spend the next quarter hour dealing with a frustrated strategist trying to pry as much information out of her as possible. She steadfastly refused to tell him how she transformed, just hinted she needed special conditions due to her heritage. Eligos wasn't satisfied, but had to take it in stride and told her a date he'd like to see her in action, somewhere outside the city to safely test her range. They'd try about two days from now, when the weather was predicted to be rainy.

Talking about strategy was really boring, and she was still hungry. Restocking would have to happen today, and she also would pay Rita a visit; she had connections.

On the way out of the underground, she passed by Azazel talking to Dante.

"I'm going to visit Bacchus and Hamsa. I'll tell M..." Azazel's glare reminded her she was to keep Mugaro out of it. "My friends I'll be moving out and bring along more food. Bye!"

Azazel grabbed her wrist before she could dart past them, and she stumbled back.

"See whether you can get the gods on board for back up," Azazel said.

"They're not already? Uh, if they didn't join before, I don't think I an change that."

"Try it anyway," Azazel said, a tad prickly. By all spirits, sure he pretty, but he could do without being like this.

"Their carriage would be a lot of use to us," Dante said. "We would be able to drop off key fighters from above rather than having everyone sneak around. Not that I expect much. If the gods wanted to help, they'd have done so before."

"You know, Azazel did forget to tell me there was a rebellion, maybe he forgot to tell them too," she said while removing Azazel's grip. He let go easily enough.

Dante sighed. "You're missing the bigger picture, Nina. Gods and demons have a messy history together."

"Azazel, you allied with Bacchus and Hamsa against Bahamut, right? If you got to know each other well enough during Bahamut's revival that they're willing to—"

"We just struck a deal : they bring me to Eibos so I could take revenge on Belzebuth in exchange for everything I knew about the plot with the god key, and some transformation magic."

"Transformation magic?"

"Nothing you could use," he said. "The zombie girl wanted to figure out an antidote for some unique transformation she'd seen Jeanne d'Arc forced through. She can mind control corpses, I added in my experience with pact transformations. That was temporary and pure business, we didn't fight side by side."

"Well, I'm glad you're willing to do that now. By the way, Belzebuth's the demon who helped release Bahamut, right?"

"Yes. I killed him for trying to undermine lord Lucifer. The fool thought he could control Bahamut and so win the throne of the three realms."

"Oooh, so Charioce isn't the first time you're going after jerkass kings?" She put up a thumb. "Talk about next level hobbies."

That got a smirk out of him and Nina turned to run. This tunnel was so small, a bad, bad place to turn into a dragon. Never do that, ever. Couldn't do that, and the pulse worsened. She ran for the river, but by the time she stood at the edge she had forced it back down and stood there with tears on her face without knowing why.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Charioce was in the middle of a stack of obnoxious forms in need of scribbles when his oldest adviser, Francisco, entered the office.

Had that hairline receded again, all the hairs migrating to that thick beard? Or maybe they just had gone back into that thick skull, returning home to escape this boring life.

"Your majesty, I have a quick matter to discuss." Which was code for a potential lecture just waiting to be unleashed and yet, Charioce had to deal with. It might be important.

Francisco presented him a silver platter, on which his black ring lay. The purple gem had been pried off.

"Your majesty, the black market crack down found this recently when tracking a huge overturn. We once again wish to express our desire you would not vanish from the castle so often. Worse than theft may have happened."

Looked like George hadn't said a thing. Good boy.

"It was not stolen, I exchanged it for services. If this bothers you, perhaps you should arrange some mundane rupees for me."

"Ah? ... I see. Still, it would be much preferred if you simply did not vanish so often."

He would have brushed it off any other day, but now he said, "Tell me, have I failed the kingdom in the past seven years?"

"No, your majesty. I merely meant to suggest that—"

"That it is best you hold your tongue. It is the king's wish to see his kingdom prosper first hand. Now tell me, who sold the ring?"

"We traced it to certain Nina Drango. Is this the one you exchanged it to?"

"Yes. Drop the pursuit, but do tell me what you have found out."

"As you wish. She's a commoner from a foreign land. She's been on our radar after she became known for her unusual strength. She recently did an illegal street performance that showed this off. Before that she worked at a construction site. Her initial behavior was exemplary : friendly, sympathetic to humans only, never complained about pay, until one day she started questioning the protective laws concerning demons. She was quickly fired, of course. The word spread in the rumor mill, so when she walked into the city with demons at her side spending a lot of money, she was soon recognized. People kept an eye on her and when a well meaning citizen expressed concern about where she got all that money, she assaulted him before fleeing."

"I see."

Francisco was about to continue, but Charioce waved him off. No pursuit. He would know by now the decision was final.

It just didn't feel as final as it should be for himself, for once. He knew temptation when he saw it. Ladies of the court, princess of lesser princes, they all threw themselves at his feet. She wasn't any different in her infatuation, just untouched by strict protocol. Not unlike the way he'd seen farmer's daughters and weaver's sisters act, before he'd moved here. He'd thought them frivolous back then, now after ten years of stiff court he missed the unrestrained life. And that girl was all that and more. Her strength was supernatural, yet not demonic or divine, or she wouldn't have stood up to his own.

He had always resisted temptation, until there was nothing to resist. Perhaps fate had grown tired of only staring at him, or maybe, just maybe, it had realized it should indulge him.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Are we ready?" Belphegor asked. Contrary to her energetic words, her servants sputtered, muttered or grumbled a yes.

Her team consisted of three nobodies: a flier and two farmers, only one of whom was strong enough to carry much. Belphegor had mentioned something about not being picky now, fair enough, but to Azazel it still felt odd to be on the same team as cleaner and farmer classes. He pushed that down and opened a gate.

To get to hell, one had to pass multiple laid out gates. An ordinary one of the spot would tune into the nearest dimensional soft spot, which led to a more solid gate elsewhere, and from there they got into the nexus of hell. Said nexus itself had connection points to various other places in hell, including Cocytus. Going straight there might cause problems, so they intended to cross past the city Styx, only for him to find that gate inaccessible. Belphegor and Durahanem tried the other connection points, to no avail. Even Amenta, a realm not strictly under the reign of Cocytus, was closed off. Either they had holed up out of fear, or had been wiped out and deemed useless.

That left them no choice but to use the straight way. Azazel expected to have to fight the moment they arrived here, but the dock was unguarded. Strange, either Charioce needed forces elsewhere or he was just so arrogant that he thought he didn't need an alert if any of the other areas converged to liberate their capital.

Several tunnels later to reach the edge of the cavern made it clear why : there was nothing to guard. Once Cocytus had been a magnificent city built on a stolen island from heaven, floating free aside of the bridges to the walls of the cavern. Its peak a city, its center the palace of the lords of hell, its walls and gates carved into intricate patterns of magic, and accursed metals holding it together with a dark radiance.

All of its riches had been stripped off now, the rocks torn loose to create airships for the humans. Enough debris has fallen down to quell most of the lake of fire below. This was no city to conquer or guard anymore, but a factory to produce humans their war ships. Even if they wanted to reconquer it, there was not enough ground to rebuild their city upon.

"Stay here, I'll scout."

Once a duty for mutts, right now he was the strongest of this group and most likely to survive an encounter with Onyx Knights.

The metal had been scraped off the doors, what little left being removed by skeletal servants. No demons were employed her and few humans were around. Azazel snatched the magic code to summon those skeletons before moving on; they were his in absence of Lucifer.

There was little else to scavange, so he spied from above for a route across the lake and returned to lead the others.

Cross the lake was easy enough in the dark, with the flows low, by jumping over the debris.

The skeleton of Antaeus lay in the gate of the cave. Once the guardian of the gates, now the bones served as headquarter for the stationed Onyx Knights. They had to trek around, which took more time.

He could easily have killed the guards and passed by them, but that would draw attention they couldn't use. So he and Adva flew the others across the short distance of a collapsed bridge and went into the tunnels from there.

The earth lay too silent to his ears. Once hell was alive with fire and roars, now the only sounds were the distant mining of the humans.

Where they emerged was a wilderness of overgrown plants, wild and in disarray between collapsed pillars and ruined homes.

"They couldn't leave an inch untouched," Azazel sneered. "Damn these humans."

"With all due respect, lord Azazel ... this isn't that different from before," Korlaun muttered.

"What?"

"Only real difference is that there's more plants since we're not over draining the nutrition in the lands, and a few collapsed roofs," Durahanem said. "I was a herder before I was conscripted, fighting a way through this chaos was daily matter."

"It could be better, to be honest," Korlaun said. "Now, lady Belphegor, do you see that plant there? It's a ..."

Plants were not his thing, so he stood guard. He kept his eyes out for a human to pass by, itching for a fight, some kind of excuse, but nothing happened.

He caught some of their chatter, which remained soft but constant. First plants, then toxins, then agriculture, and eventually lost homes and family. Korlaun and Durahanem actually wanted this 'd be content with this little, as long as they weren't slaves. He couldn't imagine how, if they had little more than with the humans.

"Could we visit Styx anyway?" Kolraun asked. "The miasma there could be useful too."

The Onyx Knights weren't densely spread out and they had the time. Azazel agreed.

Another chain of tunnels followed.

A lot of cities in hell had been built from fire lakes, which held rich energy. Still, while resistance to fire was a thing, a lot of material wasn't. Especially not food. Lakes and rivers had grown from rafts to incredible structure, Cocytus the greatest among them. Styx was not. Below it lay a poisonous river, once. Now the city lay abandoned and the river had turned into a marsh. No humans were here, a good sign for Belphegor's miasma bomb.

Belphegor conjured up some kind of measuring tool, part physical, part magic reading. According to this, miasma was really just a bunch of different chemicals and she would need various samples. Durahanem started unpacking filters and metal canisters. Azazel decided to definitely not ever tell anyone he'd spent nearly a century with a vast of miasma aboard, boasting to prey it was a mystery magic substance of chaos, that none could predict the outcome of any instance of use.

"Say, didn't lord Azazel once order miasma from Styx?" Adva asked.

"Oh, you're experienced with this, lord Azazel?"

"Nothing you can't cover," he said before flying up for immediate scouting.

The city of Styx was difficult to see from below, as it lay shrouded in mists from the swamp. It was utterly silent and not stripped bare, but it had gone silent shortly before the invasion of Cocytus. Once the domain of Hades and Persephone, it was subject to the dominion of Cocytus but self governed. Most beings here were descendants of monsters or fallen gods, rather than typical demons.

He stumbled over something damp. It was a mummified corpse, almost all the flesh replaced by slime and fungus except where the flesh had melted off. More corpses like this lay across the city, each with the melting effect. A few arrows and lances from human making remained. Styx had been slaughtered for experiments, preparation for the invasion of Cocytus. Few slaves had been taken from here, likely as they looked too human to easily sell.

There wasn't enough fire and poison to make Charioce pay for this. Better judgment told him he should let Nina just kill him, but part of him so badly craved to do it himself.

Another kind of judgment told him that if the demons moved back into hell, they were likely to try and take over the mostly intact Styx or some other city just to have somewhere to live. He found himself less than eager having to go back to fighting demons once this was all over.

When he returned to the marsh, Belphegor was just finishing loading the last canisters into her own backpack. He caught the last words of something Durahanem said to Belphegor, "... I might stay up there too."

That stayed with him until they returned to Anatae.

Once her servants dispelled, he asked Belphegor, "Where will you go after we defeat Charioce?"

"I don't know. I might have back my old titles, if lord Lucifer permits, but I imagine we would rule the human kingdom too. There is much I want to do there ... I'd stay there, to be honest."

"Do you actually like their realm better than ours, despite those damn humans?"

"To be honest, it's exactly _because_ of the humans, lord Azazel. They live so short, their minds are adjusted for curiosity and progress in ways the longer lived ones do not need. Their weakness means their curiosity is much stronger than ours because they survive that way. One day they will raise cities likes ours, like those in heaven, with a mere fraction of our magic. I want to see that happen, when they're better than what they are now."

As she was now with those words on her tongue, not even a god would seem less demonic to him, less alien. What had been going wrong, since Bahamut's revival? Strangeness like Belphegor and Nina and Kaisar had always been there, but rarely stood at his side.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Prior to her little incident in the city, Nina had rented a storage shed near the slums. It was still full with grains, potatoes, herbs and salted meat, but at this rate would run out soon. She'd have to ask Bacchus and Hamsa to do extra shopping if she wanted to avoid going into the city, or maybe she'd try to buy directly from the few farms beyond the end of the city. Either way, Bacchus's carriage was going to see a lot of use. Once this was all over, she'd try to get him a nice gift from her village, she was pretty sure some guys were secretly brewing liquor there.

Bacchus and Hamsa continued on as they did, taking their carriage around the city for odd jobs and supervision, to avoid that angel lady from becoming suspicious. Right now it was supposed to be near the river, but Nina didn't find it anywhere close to the slums. She started down the road in the direction of the castle with her eyes on the sparkling river, and sometimes on the city. The closer she got to the upper ring, the better the buildings became. One wouldn't guess here how poor the slums were. How many of these people simply didn't understand what was wrong with the kingdom?

Nina couldn't help but take a long tour into the city, dropping by the market. Passing through alleys, she ended up being two familiar stands.

"Hey," she said, not too loud.

Three people looked back.

"Nina, is that you?" Emeline asked.

"Hello, all of you," Nina said. "Can I be here?"

"Uhm ..." Emeline looked around a bit before saying, "Sure, but let me get off, I'll come into the alley for a bit, okay?"

Burkhart ignored her entirely, while Marcio shuffled closer to the corner.

Nina lowered her hood when Emeline was closer. "I just wanted to apologize for any trouble I might have caused."

"Oh, don't mind it. Girl, is it true you defended demons? Now they say you're one of them!"

"Well, it is true I defended those children," she muttered. "And I'm not really human, but I'm not a demon either."

"More like elves, right? Honestly, you ought to clear that up, you won't believe what they're saying about you now!"

"Yes, sort of. I'm half blood, and we ... we actually know some not so mean demons." A flat out lie. Her home barely knew any humans, let alone creatures from hell. But strictly speaking, Nina did know better demons _now_.

"Ah, I see. I did hear the occasional tale of demons living on earth. Nephilim, I believe? They had human heritage, maybe those are who you know. Regardless, our city's are demons straight from hell, so it's different."

Nina couldn't keep the smile on her face. "They're really not. Anyway, I'm off now. I won't bother you anymore."

They'd just thought up all sorts of stories to excuse her from being sympathetic to demons. She wished for the right words for that, but part of her was stilled by fear. If her old friends ended up looking at her like that mob had done at the children, she wouldn't know how to handle that.

She passed by an old farmer who didn't care for the rumors much and sold her three backs of corn, for a bit of a price to be honest, and she bought a cart to drag it along so she didn't stand out too much. The last stretch of the road she walked without looking at the city, only at the river, so she didn't notice the visitor until she was mere meters away from his gorgeous face. Golden eyes met hers from behind thin glasses, and her breath caught in her throat.

The man in the turban smiled at her. "I came for a rematch, but I'm told the business is wrapping. Am I too late?"

Heat crept up her face and the words were out before she could stop them, "No, no! I'd love to!"

After stuffing the corn inside the carriage, ignoring Bacchus's complaints, she got a rock from below the high road, climbing up and down with it roped to her back. Next was the most vital, an extra thick cloth as blind fold. Once she'd tied her eyes, she got in position.

"I get the impression I am what distracts you," he said with a hint of amusement. Oh no, did he think she was weird?

His elbow touched the rock, and she set her arm down. The same strange sensation filled her when their hands touched, but now she sensed something behind it. She hadn't been able to figure out _what_ Azazel did with the power direction thing, but after he'd pointed she had tried to focus as if the force were shapes. Resident power was something like waves, not rays like she'd always imagine it.

What radiated from this was so different than either of them, something to which she couldn't ascribe any form. He might be neither dragon nor fallen angel, but there had to be something more than human about him.

So lost in focus, he got the upper hand. Her knuckles slammed against the rock and she pulled her hand back on reflex.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, it's okay," she said. "Do I uh, pay you now? About the ring—."

"It's alright, I have more of those. I only came for you."

Being a furnace wasn't so bad if only she didn't turn into a dragon. She clammed down on the wild energy — her own was like fire — with distractions like removing the blindfold and yet, his words rewinded in her head.

There was something assuring in the idea he too liked her. That was new. It gave her a morsel of confidence, enough to stutter out, "Would you mind, uhm, maybe sitting with me for a bit? It's a lovely day."

"Alright."

They sat on the boulder, facing the river. With him next to her, it was easier to avoid looking at him.

"I still think I owe you something for the match, a deal is a deal after all. Would you ... " Think, think think of something innocuous come on. "... the owners of this carriage always have a stand at the festival. If you come by, you'll get a free specialty, how about that?"

"I will be there."

Say something else.

"So, I might not actually be at the festival, but maybe I can drop by quickly if I know when you're coming."

"I won't be able to predict when I'll have free time."

"Oh, too bad." Did that sound too disappointed? "Well, I hope you like the specialty anyway. Rita's really a great cook, especially considering she's been stuck in a decaying village full of rotting zombies for centuries. I think. I asked her about her family, I'm not sure whether she was being sarcastic or something."

He didn't say anything. Was she boring him? She sneaked a glance at him, but he just looked at softly ... almost enraptured. At her. Oh spirits. He had the most amazing golden eyes.

"Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" he asked.

She'd been staring. Oh no. Her heart had already been speeding, now the heat crept deeper. "S-sure."

She told him as much as she could without revealing her nature, and every little tidbit prompted more curiosity from him. He had interest in even the smallest thing, the food, the traditions, all that seemed so mundane to her. Even as it was a rather one sided conversation, full of hmm's and nice's from him, it gave her a warm glow. He was interested _in her_!

She blabbered up to the point she told him about coming here to be a bounty hunter on Favaro's advice, hoping to get a better life for her mother. Up until here, all she'd left out was her father and the dragon bit, and she wasn't sure how to go on.

In the pause he said, "A mission for your mother, how noble. I see why you sold my ring now."

Oh no. "How did you guess?"

"You're not wearing it yet you're not averse to me, and you're too strong to be robbed," he said. "Also I noticed the food sacks you loaded on that carriage. Don't tell me you're planning to have a feast all by yourself, rather than visit the festival?"

"I do eat a lot more than typical people," she said. "But I'm going to a few friends instead."

"You don't sound keen on this. Are you sure you would not rather visit the festivities and eat there?"

"I can't. I ... I've been in trouble. Not with the law or anything, but I don't think the people want me there now."

"Because you brought the demon children there?"

Nina's breath caught. "How do you know?"

"You made quite the splash already when you issued that challenge already. The tiny foreign girl whom no one could defeat in arm wrestling? You were seen plenty of times at the construction site too. This city has a potent rumor mill."

She bit her lower lip. Of course. It'd been too perfect to last, he probably was just being nice by seeking her out.

"I'm curious, what spurred this sudden sympathy for demons?"

"I just ... " She didn't want to be dishonest with him. "One of them saved my life. Everyone says they're evil, but I've seen them do good things. I don't think it's right, what's happening to them here. My village may not be rich, but we manage okay without enslaving anyway. The king is just a big bully."

"After Bahamut's rise, Mistarcia was left in ruins more than any other place. Not even the powerful gods lent it help. Something had to be done to rise mankind from the ashes. Charioce XVII took upon him this mission."

"Couldn't that have been done without hurting the demons though?"

"Try to understand the greater picture and see the other side of the story. Once we bowed to the gods and feared the demons. We lived in their shadow and it is upon our lands that Bahamut rains most destruction. It is only within this day and age within this kingdom that mankind can truly rise. This happened because mankind no longer is content with survival alone, it changed to become more fit through dedication to a goal above all."

"If that goal is reached, then what?"

"There will be a new goal. We must always strive to improve. I might not live to see the results, but I will play my part. Perhaps you will as well. Don't concern yourself with the demons, your strength can mean so much for the kingdom. Imagine what you could do, if you took upon yourself a duty for this wonderful kingdom."

"I already have a goal. My mother needs a better life." And the king had to die so the demons would be freed. "And ... I think the demons should have too. There has to be a way things are okay for both peoples."

"If only they were willing to. Demons are hedonists," he said. "They are alike with the gods in one thing : they live only for themselves, not a greater goal for their nations. Day by day, only banding together if their general survival is needed, but forever stagnant. Of course depravity and neglect thrives under such circumstances. They oppress mankind because they are powerful, because they can. They could also change, and chose not to. They are the antithesis of all we must be : a past we leave behind us. Did you know that gods and demons were not always part of this world?"

"They're not?"

"No. In a way, mankind is only reclaiming its heritage. We would be willing to share if they behaved, but there is no reasoning with demons. Why would we owe them kindness, after they oppressed us for centuries? Blood turns the wheel of history. This time, it just isn't ours."

It sounded right in a way and felt wrong in another, but she didn't really understand either.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar went through the motions of a ceremony that not too long ago, he would have deemed the peak of his life. By the king himself, he was bestowed a medal for excellent service. It was the first true honor the Knights of Orleans had been bestowed in years. His pride shone and felt hollow at the same time.

Afterward, Allesand and a few others, even Dias, insisted that he ought to have a reward. For once. So they dragged him off to Allesand's favorite restaurant, which was awfully familiar to Kaisar for some reason.

That it was in the red light distract and Allesand knew of it should've been a tip off what kind of place it was. It looked like a restaurant on the surface, but the lights were red even inside and more than a few of the demon ladies serving here tries to persuade the customers to stay for the night. Kaisar was saving his virginity for marriage so this was definitely not happening.

They were given a wide table and a quiet acknowledge of importance, and soon a flock of attractive demon girls surrounded them. Some of them rather familiar ... oh.

He leaned over to Dias, who sat next to him looking mostly stoic. "Dias, this is the place where you acquired the bait for the rag demon, is it not?"

"We're familiar here, I thought it would give the least hassle and we'd bring the women home after."

"I see."

Kaisar separated onto an empty couch nearby, but wasn't left alone for long. Two arms slipped around his neck and two beige dog puppets dropped aside of him on the couch.

"Well well, you certainly have an unusual scent about you," a familiar voice whispered in his ear. "Kaisar Lidfard."

A few red hairs fell aside of his face.

Ten years ago, two ranked demons had accompanied Azazel in Gregor. She was Cerberus. He knew little more of her than that her dogs liked creative torture, and that she was a tracker who probably worked for Lucifer. If she was allowed to stand aside of the likes of Azazel and Pazuzu, she was probably a very powerful demon too.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I'm just curious how things are with my old acquaintance." With a giggle she tapped on the medal, which was pinned closer to his shoulder. "You've been doing quite well, haven't you? I suppose it fits you and your noble knight act, though I'm really surprised you've been taking inspiration from _us_."

"I have done no such thing."

"Yes, exactly like how Azazel and me and my dears _didn't_ torture your precious lady Amira," Cerberus said. "You know, I bet you never really accepted that demon blood ran in her veins. Must be easy, to now have all these pretty shapes that don't really exist, cause they bleed demonic."

"If you are suggesting that I would ever defile a woman just because of her blood, you are mistaken. I uphold the honor of the knights, as do my men."

"Do they now? Most of my girls returned by now, save one. What'd they do with pretty Bel, captain?"

"We did nothing to her beyond trying to lure in the rag demon. The honor of my men is impeccable. She simply did not return because she moved elsewhere on her own."

"Are you sure?" She pointed to the left. Her puppets had hopped off, now sitting below the chairs of two knights, who were stuffing a demon girl's clothing with coins while drooling over her. "How much attention do you pay to your knights at all times, hmm? Where'd those guys get that extra money?'

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you, captain. They smell a little like the slums and antiseptics and satisfaction. I'm just guessing some of them took your example on trading demons lately. It's really a lot of fun, isn't it? Azazel never got you to kill Favaro, you won, you get to be a true knight and kill just us demons. I get it."

"This is not what I wanted for demonkind," he said. "I let go of needless revenge a long time ago."

"Who said anything about revenge? It's just power, right? We all use it to take care of our own and sit on a throne. So here we are, in invisible cages for you lovely knights to play with. We even get paid a little as long as we do as we are expected to, so we shouldn't complain, right?" The sugary sweet tone never faltered. "We like it best if all the men want is someone to flatter them. Guiltless attention. It's a kind of beautiful inversion to how it used to be, isn't it, Kaisar Lidfard? You're the master of the castle now, and just like you once upon a time, we never asked to be here but we'll play the game the lord sets us up to."

He lowered his eyes, but she turned his chin back up. "No, no, be proud. You're the conqueror." She leaned closer to whisper in his ear. "Did you meet Azazel yet? I'm pretty sure he's around, we smelled him. Maybe one day you'll get him in a cage. Won't that be fun?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Kaisar shot to his feet and paced away.

Almost at once, a man appeared at his side.

"Is anything the matter, sir?" the man asked, throwing a glare at Cerberus.

"No, I just came here to eat with my men."

"I bet the captain got shy!" Allesand hollered as he dropped next to Cerberus. "Nobody gets bored of Cerby!"

For the entire duration of the meal, he felt her gaze shift to him, and he could not tell whether her smile was the same malicious one as ten years ago, or just as empty as his own.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina persuaded the gods to help her shop at the farms for some flour, while gently breaking the news that maybe they ought to join the rebellion. By not telling them where the food had to be delivered, while she daydreamed a little over that man ... what was his name again? He still hadn't mentioned it, had he?

Next up was a stop at Rita's place, where the gods expected to be leaving the food, only for Nina to shut the door in her face.

"You're an awful artist." Rita gave her deadest gaze yet at the sketch Nina had made of Adva's friend. "Even if Kaisar would figure out who sold any demons off the registers, this wouldn't help. I suppose I could ask around though. Off register slave trade is usually for unethical experiments, which has a very small market."

That was a tad confusing, but Nina had more things on her to do list, so she moved on.

The gods were more than confused when she wouldn't help unload here, and also displeased with the fact that Mugaro's friends her recognized the carriage and had all climbed aboard, to the point there was no more room for Bacchus inside without tripping over bags or little demons.

"Nina, what is this all about?" Bacchus grumbled.

"Well, I was thinking you could do a lot of good by joining the rebellion, where we're heading now to deliver all this food. Also Rita doesn't have room.

"I think we're already doing enough," Bacchus said.

"Oh come on, please? We could really use the help!" Nina pleaded in her most honey voice.

"Hmmph. Y'know how much trouble I'm going to be in with Gabriel if she finds out I'm conspiring with demons?" Bacchus grumbled.

Nina hopped on the hippogryph's back so she could look him in the eyes, shifting gears with a smirk.

"Yes, it _would_ be a problem if the pink haired lady you were complaining about found out you've friendly with them." She pulled out one of the feathers Azazel had lost in Rita's place. "Imagine me running into her and telling her all about the dark angel I've seen."

She took some delight in the shock on their faces. True, this was a little bit mean, but it was a better than rebels dying by sneaking around in conspicious cloaks. Everyone in the city knew and trusted the carriage, after all.

"We shouldn't talk about this outside," Bacchus muttered.

Oh, right. nina smirked and vanished inside; Bacchus would have to come next time he wanted booze.

It was awfully cluttered inside, especially since the kids had pushed aside bags to unfold a mirror. The kids were weary around Nina and Kiprio said right away he wasn't going anywhere with her, but their mood easily perked up when Nina handed out some candy she'd delivered from Rita's candy pot.

The lot had come here cause the new clothes Siem and Kiprio had bought drew attention, so they wanted to store it somewhere others wouldn't steal it. Mugaro had turned it into an imprompty clothing try out party. Mugaro wore one of the other dresses she'd bought her and now experimented with draping a curtain before a mirror to simulate a gown. Under the dress Nina spotted her old pants. Not Nina's style, but she wasn't gonna ruin anyone's fun with experimenting.

Nina unpacked some of her own dresses from home, many of which were handmade by her mother. Not as fancy as the one she'd bought — she hoped a night's soak in Rita's herb stuff would fix the stains — but each of them quite lovely. Some might fit Mugaro, who was just a little smaller than her. Maybe she could adjust some of them?

She probably should do so for herself too, if she was going to meet that nice man again. There were a few weeks at least between the rebellion striking, and she didn't want to think about what might happen after that. For now she just wanted to have fun.

Hamsa fluttered in the door. "So what do they want us to do anyway?"

"Just borrow the carriage, I think," Nina said. "Tell you what, you just come with me to carry some of the food and you can talk to them there. You can leave if you don't want to join. Okay? You'll be rid of me sooner that way."

"Fine," Hamsa said. "But it better not be a trap!"

Nina sputtered. "Hamsa! That's not nice."

"Yeah, if the big demons wanted to hurt you they'd have done that a long time ago," Arai said.

"Speaking of the big demons, what should I wear?" Nina asked the kids, holding up some of her home dresses. "We're going on an outing in a few days where I show everyone my dragon form, so no fighting."

El hold up Azazel's feather, pointing at it with that specific _yay Azazel_ smile.

"What? No way, he doesn't care. I'm doing it for me cause it fits if you're taking a trip into the sun, you might as well look nice. Though, maybe the others like it. Dante sure does wear some ornate stuff, maybe he's into clothing style."

"I like the yellow one with the blocks and the flames," Otyan said. "It reminds me of where I used to live."

"Hell, right? I bet it's nothing like in our stories," Nina said. "What's it like?"

"Lots of rocks, some of them glitter and shine, and the fire can be all kinds of colors. It's always warm and there's these wonderful invisible fire flows that feel really nice," Otyan said. "Do you live with fire too?"

"Nah, we live under cover of a forest and try not to be seen. So going flying in the sunlight is a treat, since the sun is our favorite fire. Though, that's just what I hear from others. Even if I could fly as a dragon, I can't remember."

She held up the dress Otyan had chosen. Most of the teal, orange and pink decorations were painted on the fabric by herself. Pink steps jutting from a teal line, flames dancing up.

"It's from The Stairway Of Fire, one of my favorite fairytales. In our legends one day we will ascend to the great dragon in the sun when the world ends, but there once was a hero who went early to ask for a great favor, because they loved the earth so much."

Mugaro folded her legs and sat in a most expectant pose, and the rest of the kids gathered in a circle.

"Sorry, I can't now, but I promise I'll tell you later. I have rebellion stuff to do today, right, Hamsa?"

"Make that tomorrow, we just ran around buying shit all day."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel cleared a wall in the assembly hall and started a map of the city in preparation for the planning. He's memorized the city over the years and could make it pretty detailed. He hadn't ever imagined his drawing skills would actually be useful for something.

He also hadn't imagined the mood it would happen in. The members of the rebellion were solemn and serious enough, with the exception of one.

Nina came skipping down the rubble in a breezy yellow dress, ribbons in her hair, right out of heaven when a water to wine incident got rid of the stiff serenity. In other words, completely unfit to convincing the revolution she was to be taken seriously. Sure she looked gorgeous, but they weren't here for gorgeous. They were here for pride and victory. Seriously, what was she thinking, showing up like this? It was the height of irresponsibility. How dare she.

"Hey, everyone!" She dumped a leather trunk in a corner of the hall, still balancing a bundle of sacks in her other arm. "Who wants food? I have a whole lot, so eat your fill."

While Nina unpacked right there, Bacchus and Hamsa wandered in. The two gods gave a probably skeptical look around; it was hard to tell through their half drunk haze and the fact one of them was a duck.

"Who are they?" someone asked.

"Bacchus and Hamsa, the bounty hunter lords," Nina said. "Azazel asked me to bring them on board with the rebellion. Oh, Bacchus, Hamsa, you should talk to the grey guy with the wannabe pirate look. He's the leader of the rebellion, Dante."

"It's a count's coat," Dante grumbled, which prompted a few chuckles from those around him. Why were they even willing to follow him, when he acted so casual with everyone?

Bacchus and Hamsa didn't miss a beat to approach him, and Bacchus held out his hand. "Gods and demons once joined against the common threat of Bahamut. It seems we have another common threat now. The do not speak for the other gods, but I'm willing to throw in my lot on this table _if_ you can present a solid plan."

Dante shook his hand, brief and tensely. "So. You're the god of the bounty hunters, eh? Did I ever show up on your warrants?"

"Not that I recall. She did, though." Bacchus nodded at Belphegor.

With a huff, Belphegor said, "That deal with Magdalene was _not_ started by me, but by one of my pact mates. I can't keep twenty four hour tabs on everyone I contract with."

"I'm not here to arrest anyone, and I don't care to do it after this is over," Bacchus said. "Besides, we're already in trouble if it leaks we helped Azazel."

"What he said," Hamsa quacked. "Really, all we want is to get the stolen matter back to the gods, maybe get rid of our exile sentence and that's it."

That didn't meet much enthusiasm, except from Belphegor. "Back? The magic the humans use is matter stolen from the gods?"

"The power of Dromos. We're not entirely sure what it is, but it predates gods and demons and is very dangerous. We were unable to either wield it or destroy it, so it was locked up," Bacchus said. "Lady Gabriel would want it back to reseal it and has no interest in using it against the demons."

"Never mind that, tell me what you know about it. To what degree is it technology? How does it power not just those shields but their physical strength? What kind of experiments did you run?"

Azazel and pretty much everyone else didn't follow as Bacchus blurted out something he himself didn't seem to understand, while Dante tried to get some more assurance they wouldn't be having a divine squad on their roof next day.

Eligos sided up to Azazel.

"I can't believe you passed on the recruitment to her," he whispered. "And you wanted to _lead_ us?"

"Are you looking for a fight?" He asked, still calm but willing to deliver.

"I do not, oh right hand of Lucifer. I am ever on the quest for common sense," he said. "I'm merely saying your priorities are a little odd, you might lack certain skills and you miss details like forgetting to tell us the dragon is this young lady who can't transform unless under unspecified special conditions. I would dare say that is a detail crucial to a successful operation you did not share. Just another friendly example of why I doubt your input, _lord_ Azazel."

"Your quest is lacking if you think challenging me is common sense."

"Quick, tell me what Bacchus just said that convinced Dante to trust him."

"What?"

Eligos slipped away with the whisper, "Too easily distracted," right as Dante told Bacchus, "Alright, we will accept your help."

Nina jumped between the god and the demon. "Great! Welcome to the rebellion! Let me show you around. Everyone except me and Azazel have jobs to do, and uh, let's see ... Belphegor is our scientist, she's makes stuff and I bet she'd love to know how the weird space dimension thing of your carriage works."

Belphegor hesitantly offered a hand to Bacchus and then one to Hamsa, who could only offer a wing.

Nina pointed at Belphegor's servants. "And those people over there are Adva and Kolraun and Durahanem. They work for Belphegor, you can go to them for food. Maybe they can brew you something spiffy and pay Adva in some nice clothes cause she won't take any for free."

Next she pointed at Eligos's choice of trainer, who huddled in the shadows of a column and didn't look like she wanted the attention. "And those are Nishaol with her new students, I didn't catch their names yet. They fight things but they don't have much high magic people to practice with, they're all busy. You can fight, right Bacchus?"

"Yeah, a bit."

Nina opened a rock door to reveal the weaver in one of her hidden roads. "And this here's Arachna. She helps this place be safe. I don't think you could help her with anything specific but if you're lost, tap one of her threads and ask for help."

Arachna waved with a tight smile and slammed the door shut.

"Don't mind her, everyone's really nervous cause there's so much at stake," Nina said. "Some of them are so busy I haven't even met them, so that's as much as I got."

Bacchus looked around the lot and said, "So do any of you have an idea what you're doing?"

"Not much. Rebellion was never an option in hell, too much differences in power levels," Nishaol said. "We're just hoping Dante or Eligos know."

"Hmmph. Y'know, I was alive when Lucifer rebelled. This isn't gonna be as simple as just killing the king, you're gonna have to deal with everyone else in the kingdom too."

"We can deal with that later." Azazel turned to the wall and continued the map. "Let's first lay out our plan of attack on Charioce, now we got that carriage. What we can—"

"We're not actually going to know when and where the next raid will come from," Dante said. "So let's wait that out."

"Great idea," Eligos said loudly. "Anyway, Bacchus, Hamsa, we'd appreciate it if we could get an idea of your magic, and what we can expect from heaven."

"Sure," Bacchus said. "I'm not really much of a strategist though."

"That's my job," Eligos said.

As easy as that, Azazel standing at the wall on the platform was in fact nothing but him standing at the wall, while everyone circled down around Dante and Bacchus at the center of the hall. And it wasn't even about the plan.

Belphegor crossed her legs on a rock and leaned. "Tell us about heaven. What's the technology like? Are there schools? How do they work?"

"And their history and government maybe, and we can ask questions, right?" Eligos said.

"I want to know what they did after Zeus died!"

"Are the battle spells any different? What about ground strategy?"

"Do your healing spells work on demons? Do you know any?"

"Okay, suit yourself," Bacchus said. "I'll try to cover all that. History, uhm ... Zeus ... You all know of Zeus, right? After he became the key to seal Bahamut, dominion fell to the angels, who derive most power from faith, so they had the most ability to restore things, which earned them the thrones. Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, Raphael and Hêlêliel, y'know. They developed a lot of what we got in heaven now, and you got Lucifer, so ..."

Azazel knew this part and tuned it out. He didn't want to hear it again. Lucifer had told him, that was enough. He just kept drawing the map, intent to call them to action once it was done.

A second crayon tapped on the wall.

"You can make this clearer for the folks who never got to walk down the streets, you know," Nina said, standing on her toes to reach. "There's a bakery with a big wooden board with a cake on it, which is different from the bakery further up the street, which has a bunch of bread on their board."

He shoved a rock her way and she stepped on to reach her. "And if you make the river blue the people in the back can see easier that it's not a street. And that's a park, not a building, people can hide there better. There's a warehouse here, we can break into that for hiding. I did that once when the weird blond knight guy who never wears a helmet chased me."

So here he was having a horny dragon girl desecrate his strategy planning while a drunk told stories of heaven. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. Nobody was serious about this, it wasn't the time for games, fun and wine when there were people dying every day. This could be over as soon as Charioce made himself a target at the parade. What was wrong with them?

"Need a new crayon?" Nina handed him another white one. "They'll wear down less if you don't press so hard."

Chaos dammit she was right, but he didn't have the patience. Unlike everyone else, who had too much of it.

"How do you get the lines to be straight in one go, is that just practice or is there a trick to it?"

"Just look where you're going and practice."

"Ah, that actually works. I kept looking at where I came from. You know, you're good at this. Can you draw people too?"

"Yes."

"Please draw someone for us." She handed him a paper. "Adva, come over here for a moment? It's to describe Tipa."

Adva shook her head and turned her back on them, apparently only ears for something Hamsa said about cloud control.

"One of the other four women she was with?" Azazel guessed.

Nina nodded. "Tipa, the one with the long ears."

It had been a long time since Azazel had even bothered drawing, and more yet since he'd drawn people. The skill was still there though, to his surprise.

When he finished, Nina had surrounded his map with a smiley sun, weird trees and barely recognizable sticks that probably were rebellion members. She's crudely scribbled name places all over it too.

Maybe Eligos had a point about his concentration because how in hell had he let it come to the point where he stood before an army — however small — with this as his map? He had his wings out so they wouldn't see most of it, but he would have to move at some point.

"Oh, that's really nice," Nina said as she took the drawing. "Thanks. Adva, look at this!"

And off she was, leaving him with this embarrassment of a map.

He barely had time to consider whether he'd just erase all her additions when she addressed him again. "Hey Azazel, what about the laws?"

"What?"

"Eligos asked how many people write the laws," Nina said.

"Who cares? I didn't do any law things in heaven."

"We meant for hell," Bacchus said.

"I don't know."

"Shouldn't you be knowing this? A whole lot of people said you're the right hand of the king of hell. Being a good king needs more than just not being as bad as Charioce, right? I know all my tribe's laws _and_ who is on the council," Nina said.

"He's from the fallen angel tribe, they don't know what it's like to be born in hell," Dante said. "Most fallen angels were strong. They had to be, if they were to survive the darkening. So the whole lot of them got into hell on power alone."

"A lot of hell is just making with what's available and surviving. There's not much law. We just survive and hope no leader or human summons us," someone Azazel couldn't place muttered.

"I know about that," Nina said. "We live as small humans cause there isn't enough food to live as dragons anymore, but that makes is vulnerable to being killed when summoned. We don't have to fear our own leaders, though. Why is it like that with you all?"

The hall was pretty silent, nobody took on the bait for a story. Confused, she looked around.

"Most of us never could leave hell," Dante said at last. "I could, but only cause I have the magic and knowledge for portals. All the typical demon ever does on earth is get summoned and commanded by humans."

"That's nasty," she said. "Say, once we get rid of the king, how about we just take some of the laws that made sure the humans had it good, and have those be a thing in hell too?"

More silence.

"Hey, Azazel, why doesn't anyone want to talk about hell's kingdom when you're around?"

One could hear the snakes scuttle around the edges.

"I don't know and I don't care what they do or don't say. Leave me to work." Never mind the map was pretty much done.

Nina put her hands on her hips. "No. They were all chatty this morning and just now when talking about heaven, but hell comes up and the get quiet. Y'know, I don't think many of them liked how things were run."

"Tch."

"Well, if I can't hear it, there's other ways. Bacchus, can we get some of that paper you use to print bounties?" Without waiting for an answer, she raced for the carriage and soon reappeared with a stack, which she started handing out. "Everyone, let's make a wish list. We can also write down anything else you want, see whether anyone comes from the same place or has stories to share. This paper responds to visions so maybe you can even figure out how to make pictures appear on it."

"Are you going to show him?"

"You got my word I won't if you don't want to. I'm just gonna tell him with needs to be better, okay?"

With as little as that, Nina had a hook in the entire hall. If Dante was a pillar against Azazel's authority, Nina was a net. They just went along with what she suggested.

They only paid him heed to see whether he'd come over to scrutinize them. Some vanished into other rooms, others still had questions for Bacchus, and no progress had been made with planning the attack. Azazel didn't know how to end this whole thing. Slinking away was fine if he did it in the night while killing slavers, but this ...

Staying here was nothing but embarrassing though. While wandering off into a tunnel, nowhere in particular, someone came after him.

"Azazel, wait!"

He stopped without turning, but he did look. "What do you want?"

"I didn't mean to make you look bad," she said. "But think a little bit more about what's going on with others. I have to do that too, so I know that takes a bit of work."

"You can't possibly make me look bad," he said. "And don't tell me what to do."

Nina signed an oval in the air before her face. "Have a mirror."

"Tch."

"That's not an answer." She turned away, miffed.

"Wait," he said.

"Yes?"

She looked expectant and he had no idea what he wanted to say or why he called her back.

"I really don't know why they don't talk," he said at last. "But there was a strict hierarchy in hell. I was never concerned with it. I just ... things didn't go this way. I didn't govern, and I answered only to Lucifer."

"Oh, I see. That sure explains why you're cranky you're not the boss. Or know how to run things. Not that I know more."

"I am _not_ cranky."

Nina just beamed at him and made the mirror sign again, before returned to the hall, shouting something about how everyone got along with their wish lists.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel once again checked on Bacchus with the intent to make him work harder; her own search still turned up nothing. When Bacchus had said she couldn't come in because it was a mess, she expected wine bottles. Rather than that, it was children. From hell.

Some of them had peach pink and brown skin colors like gods and humans did, others were gray. All of them had trace horns cut off. Sofiel had only ever seen the adults that were strong enough to leave hell on their own, the children were ... not what she expected. She'd always imagined them as wild, malicious little brats. These kids played with clothing and empty wine bottles — sooner calling to mind worry about Bacchus's carelessness than concerns they'd bite her.

"Did you fall so deep you now collide with demons?" Sofiel asked.

"No!"

"Because it sure looks like you opened a demon daycare."

"I took this one child in for help during the festival, the others don't stay here, okay? They're visiting. What am I supposed to do, kick them out?"

"Lady Sofiel, they're just kids," Hamsa slimed. "And they're pretty useful once they learn to cook, we swear. We've got a stand on the incoming festival, you see."

The amount of expensive wine sure didn't give the impression he was in want for money.

"What if they curse anything you sell?"

The second biggest of the children stood up, a gray, browless kid with red hair. He crossed his arms and glared at her. "You know if we wanted to curse anyone, we'd have done it already!"

"They'll be behind the scenes," Bacchus said. "And I'm keeping an eye on things."

"This does not improve your chances of your exile being revoked, you understand," Sofiel said.

"What else am I supposed to do? My pay has been slashed since the bounty hunter business went down."

"You could opt to stop your alchohol addiction, I'm sure," Sofiel said.

Someone knocked and Hamsa opened. And it was another demon.

"Uhhhh am I disturbing?" the demon said.

"Yes, scram!" Bacchus snapped. With sudden speed, he stormed outside and slammed the door behind him.

Sofiel was left alone with the swarm of children. She wanted to follow Bacchus because this was very fishy, but found the door locked.

" _What_?"

She pried the nearest window open, but all she saw outside was Bacchus thirty meters away muttering with the demon. She couldn't hear a thing.

Someone pulled at her sleeve.

The tallest of the demon children, a dusiu with black hair, had crouching onto the couch next to her. Ne held out the machine that produced the bounty pamphlets and pointed at the castle.

Sofiel just frowned.

"I think she's trying to ask why there is no bounty on the king's head," a beige demon girl said.

Sofiel stood straight up. "We try not to provoke the human king any further. Besides, crimes against demons are not adjusted to the system."

The demon dusiu shoved the machine into Sofiel's arms, tapping it again with a stern look.

The machine tuned into those human criminals who used the forces of hell by detecting the flows of magic between the realms based on names and pacts. The magic of Dromos didn't work like that, and besides, crimes against demons? How did that even fit into the law system?

Demons were even lower than humans, but right now it was a human who was their greatest enemy, and she hadn't outright been ordered to not explore options. Hmmm ...

Bacchus returned to the carriage alone, finding Sofiel waiting with her arms crossed.

"Bacchus, I'll not report on your suspicious activities right away, but only on the condition you help me test something and take responsibility if something goes wrong."

"What kind of deal is that?" he slurred.

"The kind of deal that does not jeopardize my chances at becoming one of the four great angels, which will happen if it turns out this is a bust and lady Gabriel finds out I covered for you." She held up the machine. "Help me adjust the system to register the power of Dromos. I want to see what will happen."

"Are you serious?" He sounded instantly sober.

"If we can get Charioce to show up within this system, getting near him when he is weakened will be enough to capture him," she said. "Seel Soh Cetom."

Bacchus looked at her in surprise, followed by a grin. "That's the best idea I've heard from up there in a long time."

Something missed here. Normally Hamsa would've started sucking up to make up for the near insult, but right now Sofiel didn't care enough to wonder where he'd gone. Charioce XVII had to go down.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Belphegor waited with a sleepy Nina, a hungover Dante, a barely contained Eligos and a nervous Adva at the edge of the forest, expecting a carriage to appear in the evening sky. Instead they got Kolraun running up with a rather shiny Hamsa. She had to fight the urge to take over the glowing holy duck, eager to inspect the magic on hold. That and she enjoyed the fluffiness.

"Where is the carriage?" Azazel asked as Kolraun held out the duck.

"Bacchus has to keep the lady Sofiel busy. They got it into their head to adjust the bounty machine," Hamsa said. "Bacchus cast a delayed growth spell on me so I can carry you lot around."

"I do hope you won't grow too large, or you'll be easy to spot. We wouldn't want any curious knights to show up," Belphegor said. "There are stations all through the area to capture escaped slaves, after all."

"Oh, we took that into account," Hamsa said.

The moment he was free of Kolraun's hands, the spell went full out. He grew ... quite symmetrically, with no proportional adjustments. Just a literal giant duck. If this was Hamsa's true form, it didn't make sense that he wouldn't be able to control it himself. Belphegor suspected Azazel had been in jest when he said so.

Eligos climbed up first, but when Dante joined him Hamsa huffed under the weight.

"You're too small, grow bigger," Eligos said.

"I can't! This isn't my magic."

"Miss Bel, I can carry you, probably," Adva muttered, already unfolding her wings.

"Uh, I can't grow wings," Nina said. "I'd like to though."

"It's no problem, right?" Belphegor said. "Lord Azazel can carry you. Kolraun, I'm sorry. You can see Nina as a dragon after we won, alright?"

Kolraun shrugged. "Honestly, you can call me if there's a giant cat. I'd rather fill the orangehouse."

Adva unfolded her wings to full length, Belphegor's first time seeing them in daylight. Spanning meters, they shone in dark purple and teal, with specks of shimmery blue. Spikes ran along the upper finger, but overall they were beautiful. That might be the sole reason she'd been allowed to keep them at all.

Belphegor was more than a head taller than Adva, but to her surprise Adva was able to lift her without any trouble.

She cast a look at the others and lost a chuckle.

Dante and Eligos were awkwardly cramped atop the just as awkward duck who struggled for balance on two spindly legs.

Azazel was more than a head talled than Nina so he could still stand as she dangled in his arms; Nina had turned beet red and just barely got herself to put an arm over Azazel's arm and Azazel looked elsewhere very much.

"I'd almost say heaven blessed our dignity alone," Adva whispered as she lifted off. Belphegor just gave a wide smile.

Hamsa took off with some effort and struggled to stay in the air and close to the forest. They had to circle around a few outposts and smaller villages until they reached an empty valley in the shadow of a curved mount. It came with lots of jutting rocks, passing over wider ones for some reason. Once they landed, Nina ran behind one of those rocks.

"You stay here," Azazel said to the others, following Nina.

"Why can't we see her transformation spell?" Eligos asked.

"It's a secret, okay," Nina called. "Azazel already knows so he can ... uh, stand guard."

They vanished behind the rock, and for a while nothing happened.

"I researched the shapeshifter demons once," Eligos said. "Their bipedal forms normally don't look human, so I would hazard the guess she is a hybrid. She must be using an assisting spell. I can imagine people abusing that if they knew of it."

"Really? So this can take a while and a lot of concentration?" Dante said with a grin, before raising his voice at the rock. "Don't have too much _fun_ before business, you two! We don't have all day."

It was answered by Azazel cursing him out.

"You just _had_ to be tasteless, didn't you?" Eligos said.

"Oh, come on, since—" A bright pink light interupted him.

From behind the rock unfolded a glowing sphere that turned sharper until it left behind a heavy, spiked dragon. Magenta scales glistened in the golden dawn, with darker scales covered the stomach and lower neck, and similar in a thinner line over the back. Her wings were unusually small and her legs oddly thick, but otherwise Nina was a graceful dragon. Almost. She had a tuft of pink hair behind her horned crest, which gave her a quirky look.

Belphegor approached, glad to find Nina bow her head to meet her. "Oh, you are magnificent!"

Unable to resist, she ruffled her thick pink mane. Eligos joined her at a distance, enthralled but not touching.

After a curious rumble, Nina nudged Eligos and he dropped over, only to laugh. "I'll take that as a compliment. May I see your firepower?"

No response. Nina just looked back, at where Azazel stood atop the rock.

"Don't bother, she loses her mind when she transforms," Azazel said.

"Are you kidding me?" Eligos said. "Please, _please_ tell me this is a joke."

"Maybe she can take simple commands?" Belphegor said.

"She's not a dog," Azazel said.

Nina flopped on her back, exposing her armored belly. Belphegor tried scratching her with a shrug, but Nina felt nothing through the thick scales.

"Nina, nod if you can understand us," Dante said.

Nothing.

"Cat!" Belphegor said.

Nina started purring as well as she could with a dragon's voice.

"Dog?" Eligos said.

She whipped her tail.

"I dare say she can understand some words, but with little more capacity than an animal. I doubt anyone explained her what dog and cat means while in this form, so she must've inherited this from her human life," Eligos said.

Nina lowered her head to Azazel and nudged him. He nearly toppled over.

"Stop that!"

"She's just saying she likes you," Belphegor said.

Nina nudged him again just to have him fly away, landing near the group. "We'll teach her commands when she's human again."

"Regardless, we're going to need back up," Eligos said. "I've heard enough of the survivors to know she will attack our enemy, but complex strategy will be difficult."

"We'll just fly over with the carriage, you guys drop down and the dragon—"

"ANYWAY," Dante said, "Like Eligos said we're going to make a meticulous plan where everyone isn't at risk of painful green death. Right, Nina?"

Nina wagged her tail, dipped her head sideways and picked up Azazel in her mouth. Before he got a word of objection in, she cantered off across the hill. A few wings flaps didn't help her lift off, so she just went on all fours.

The demons just stared, while Hamsa might be quacking in indignation or laughing his feathers off. Frankly, Belphegor had to fight very hard not to join him.

"Oh dear," Eligos said at last. "No flight, and terrible hormones."

"What's hormones?" Adva asked.

"The emotional chemicals that make lovebirds go gaga," Eligos said. "As appears to be the fate of our strongest two fighters. Belphegor, did she tell you anything about how she turns back?"

Belphegor pressed her lips together and shook her head.

"Adva, can you fly ahead to track them and return once she stops?" Dante said.

Belphegor crammed herself on Hamsa, just barely. He managed to fly across the valley, but collided with the ground as he tried to pass the ridge. From there on he just tried running, which Eligos called as profound waddling, at which point Belphegor couldn't hold it in anymore.

"You better be talking about Nina's advances and not me!" Hamsa sputtered.

A pointed silence fell before Belphegor said, "That. Is definitely a thing I'm laughing about."

"And the ducking around," Eligos said. "Let's he honest."

Hamsa spent the rest of the trip with his feathers puffed out in irritation.

They'd passed three hills when Adva returned from the east.

"They're about four hills that'a'way. She appears to be making a den," Adva said. "Azazel was stuck under her tail. I'd have waited till she moved and led him back, but, uh ... he wasn't very good company." That last part got out so softly, it was hard to hear over the waddling.

Nina had crawled into a cavity and hollowed it out by tearing rock loose before curling up. Somewhere from between her front legs came a spray of irritated black snakes trying to pry up her front claw. Nina herself looked down, making confused growly noises.

Belphegor climbed over Nina's massive front paws for a closer look. Azazel's legs were under her front claws, while he lay on his back and seethed. Nina was very careful, almost like shielding. The only injury Azazel sustained was a spectacular blow to his dignity.

"I've seen you burst rocks," Belphegor said through gritted teeth, resolving not to laugh any further. "Pardon me, lord Azazel, but why are you stuck?"

"I can't get out without breaking her hand," he said with a poor effort at a blank stare. "Distract her."

How, though?

Eligos and Dante joined her in leaning over Nina's paw.

"This dragon is horny in more than one way," Eligos said without a flinch of a smile, somehow. "It seems there is some crucial information you haven't told us. What if she wants to _settle_ in the middle of the rebellion?"

"She _will_ fight if there's a threat, I've seen it!"

Dante cracked his knuckles and tried to lift her paw, but Nina just gave him a soft nudge and he toppled. Belphegor got the same when she tried.

They got absolutely nowhere, up until on her own Nina started glowing pink again.

When the glow faded Azazel lay on his back, with a naked Nina sprawled half over him. He was tinted very purple and looked anywhere but down.

"Eligos, cloak. Now." Azazel forced a wing out from under his back and covered up Nina.

"No. Not when you talk to me like that."

"It's not even for me."

Belphegor sighed and pulled the cloak off of Eligos. She turned Nina over, wrapping her up while Azazel scrambled away.

"Does the passing out happen every time she transforms?" Eligos asked.

"Yes."

"She was a dragon less than fifteen minutes. And you didn't tell us about this? What is wrong with you?" Dante snapped.

Eligos sighed. "And afterwards someone is going to have to scoop her up. Tight requirements for killing the most guarded person on the surface of the planet."

"That will be all we need if we do this right. He'll be a perfect target during the celebration of the fall of Cocytus, right under the open sky. We just have to have Bacchus fly over, drop us down and—

"That again? No! We're doing this after they return from a raid, when they're exhausted. They'll be under the open sky long enough during that," Dante said, sounding calmer but more assured.

Azazel though didn't look ready to drop it, so Belphegor quickly said, "Lord Azazel, she has friends in the city. She told us about them. We need something other than a parade, where her rampage won't hurt any bystanders."

"When did she say that?"

"She talks with us every time we eat together," Belphegor said. "Why do you want it to be during the festival so badly, lord Azazel?"

"Don't you get it? They need to understand what and why their king will die."

"We could make an announcement afterward," she said. "Assuming we don't have to flee, which we well may have to do right then, even if just to secure our injured."

That didn't seem to satisfy him. She'd admired him a lot, but that began to slip a little. He was so careless sometimes.

 **· · · · · · ·**

For once Kaisar arrived at the doctor's guild not to meet Rita, but for investigation. Told to wait, he still ended up on the bench in the inner garden.

Out of an open window behind him rolled the murmurs of doctors, the crinkle of paper and the clinking of cups. Old, dry sounds in sharp contrast to the finely crafted medal in his hands. He'd wrapped it in his handkerchief without much thought after the ceremony was over, now her words mingled with the doctors discussing the plague risks of dumping bodies in the slums.

 _Sorry? No you're not._

At last one of the lead doctors stepped out and was introduced by a servant as doctor Oagburg, a slender man with neat suit and sharp eyes behind his glasses.

"Ah, we are honored to welcome the captain of the Orleans Knights. The story of your heroic rescue of the king makes quite the round in the city. For what have we earned your visit?" he said with a little smile.

Kaisar stood up. "It has come to my attention that several of my knights have illegally sold captured demons, including to an institution connected to the doctor's guild. I would like your assistance in bringing them to justice."

The doctor spread his hands, the smile widening. "Of course we are nothing but respectful to the king's laws, but is this truly the time to trouble doctors over such a trivial matter like illegal trade? Surely no dangerous substances were exchanged, after all, and experiments serve purely educative purposes."

"I must uphold the law." The doctor's smile faltered.

 _What you do is let us rot._

"With all due respect, is something going on? I could not help but notice your acquaintance has shown an unusual amount of interest when a certain colleague suggested — and only suggested, mind you — that he was of interested in certain experiments on demons. Concerning plague resistance, of course."

Was Rita involved in something? She had always kept low over the years, what was happening now?

"Yes, that would have been at my behest," Kaisar lied. "It appears I do not need to speak with you, considering your attitude. I will talk to Rita concerned any illegal trade, and perhaps also your disinclination to share information relevant to the upholding of the law."

He gave a curt bow and turned away without giving the man time to recover.

Dias alone was outside with their horses trying to look casual; his trusted friend, as always.

"Did you learn anything, captain?" Dias asked.

"Nothing yet," Kaisar said.

"Is this really what you want to do, now that the Orleans Knights finally have found some honor after all these years?" Dias asked.

 _Don't you dare apologize when you've done nothing to make me believe it means anything._

What was he supposed to do anyway? He had often voiced hints of concern for an uprising for years, but Charioce always dismissed it. _Let them_ , he said. _We are strong enough_.

Once the demons had been strong enough to trample over humankind. It wasn't that he didn't understand. Had that demon lady even done anything for humans that fell victim to demons? Still, he was supposed to be better, wasn't he?

"Sometimes I'm not sure what I really want, or what chivalry says I should want." Kaisar sighed. "Let's go back, Dias. We wouldn't want to leave Allesand in charge for too long."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Belphegor dripped one more of the sulphur into the brew, which began steaming purple and gray.

Kolraun shook like a reed the entire time, sporting a most forced grin while reciting what he knew of the plants. By now it was mostly speculation.

"Calm your nerves, it won't explode. I know this response. It would take several more drops for that to even be a possibility," she said while preparing to put those drops in.

Adva starting humming, drawing nearby water out of a bucket as a shield around herself.

"Thank you for the trust," Belphegor said.

Durahanem pulled Kolraun back and dropped a table over, hiding herself and the other two behind it.

"Oh come on. Are any of you even fire sensitive?"

"No, but our clothes are _and_ this stuff reeks like it won't get off," Durahanem said. "Also blow back."

The brew deemed that the right time to explode, sending glass shards, clouds and foam all over the room.

Well, ouch.

Belphegor started picking glass out of her already healing skin, but paused when the tinge of acid fume sipped at the wounds. This would not do for a larger bomb, should they want to avoid the wind blowing it across the city.

"Our point exactly," Durahanem said while peeking over the table.

"Hmmhmm." Belphegor started a new brew, but slower this time. She had killed humans before, but never to the degree the legends about her said. It had always been self defense. Would she start acting like the legends said now, just by rushing ahead?

Behind her, Adva and Korlaun started cleaning, while Durahanem opened another barrel.

"What do you all think about how we will be killing humans?" She turned around to look at them. They stopped working, except Adva.

"You're asking us for that, ..." Korlaun said. "Look, lady Belphegor, I was an incubus with no desire to live like one. Just as I finally got out of my family and onto the farmlands, the humans abducted me. I'm not attached to them, but I know a lot of them didn't choose to be born in my enemy's kingdom."

"They kept me and my family as animals, and I saw them slaughtered and eaten one by one," Durahanem said. "I don't care enough to pick a fight with you whatever way you choose."

"Adva?"

"It doesn't matter, what I think. Just go on. I'm tired."

"Are you really asking us cause you want to know, or do you want us to shut you down?" Durahanem asked.

Oh chaos, she was right. Belphegor put her hands down before the new brew spilled further.

They'd do a test run, but that would still require human test subjects.

Nina burst in before Belphegor could fret further. "Adva, I asked Rita whether she could ask Kaisar about what happened to missing demons and your friend's name is Tipa, right?"

Adva shot to her feet. "Where is she?"

"Uh, that's the hard part. Apparently some rich doctor bought her. But I bet Azazel can bust her out again."

All misery considered, there were some humans Belphegor wouldn't mind experimenting on.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The day of the victory celebration arrived like any other. Azazel aside, the demons were content to hole up with another batch of food and rest.

Bacchus and Hamsa needed money even less now, but to avoid suspicion they went ahead with their annual tradition. Nina would have loved to head the festival stand with them, but it was better if she didn't. That didn't mean she wasn't going to hang around the back to meet ... she really ought to get his name at some point. The question kept slipping her.

When she arrived, he already was at the stand. Sitting near the board with two plates on the ground, in fact. All specialties.

"I'm so sorry for being late, I was really busy!" she said. "And you've been too, I see."

"They're quite delicious, compliments to the chef. Or chefs." He gave a frowny look at Rocky as ve hopped across the stove to deliver some spice to Rita.

"Rocky's independent, so it's chefs," Nina said.

"You look quite lovely," he said.

She wore one of the other dresses she'd brought, a flowing pink one with a skirt that floated like a bell at every step. Now her face took a shade to match, she had to turned away again. "Anyway, it looks like you didn't forget money this time, or did you hand Bacchus a fancy ring too?"

"The young man got the last of this batch on a condition," Bacchus said. "That he take you around the festival."

Oh no. She pulled Bacchus behind the carriage. "You did _what_?"

"Look, Nina, you've been doing nothing but run around for the, you know. You can't let this whole thing take over your life. Go have some fun."

He pushed her ahead and the man stood up. Nina was about to object that she shouldn't be walking around, but that melted away in the face of this man.

"Shall we?" With a smile, he held out a hand to the streets and her heart skipped a beat, ready to fill that lack with dragon.

She stepped out in the open, at his side and he led her into the golden bustle.

Nobody bothered her when in his presence, no one looked other than to admire for a moment. There weren't even any whispers. People had to be too busy to notice her, or maybe she just looked that different when dressed up. Or maybe they all looked at him, as Nina could imagine. She herself had trouble not doing so every other blink.

So she tried to instead look at what he showed her, which was a thankful plenty of new things.

The festival was one tradition after another she didn't know, and timed his directions perfectly. When the candle procession passed, they were right at a front spot, when the fireworks lit they were in a corner with clear sight of the sky, and he could tell easily which treats were of good quality.

All games on this festival were made for humans, so either of them aced the strength tests and aiming challenges with ease, even as they kept the strength down. He won as much prizes as she did, and they handed them out to children passing by to keep their hands free, and to see them smile. His smile was the best, though.

They reached a marksman game and he stood in line to pay for a chance. She eagerly sided up, but paused when she realized the figures to be shot were all demons. The stand owner handed them crossbows, which Nina knew she would fail at. Favaro had never succeeded at teaching her this one. In a small way that was a relief, because a few of those figures looked a little too much like her new friends. One of them she was sure was based on the rag demon.

Nina missed every shot, he put them all in the center. This wasn't just a matter of raw strength, he had to have practiced.

She clapped for him, smiled, and wondered. What if he was a soldier? No, too rich. Maybe he was one of those rich people with training since childhood. Princess in fairytales could all hunt, that had to be based on something. He probably wouldn't be on the frontlines when the rebellion happened, right?

At the end of the street was the plaza below the tower, the place where she had almost died not too long ago. It seemed so surreal now, as there was nothing but joy. Everyone had gathered around the center, musicians played and couples whirled on a the wooden platform painted yellow and orange by lanterns.

"Would you like to try?"

"I couldn't. I don't know this dance."

She stared at the ground, unsure how to continue. Saying no kind of ruined the mood, but she'd turn into an embarrassment up there, or worse, a dragon.

When he stepped closer, she startled. Without a word he took her hand and softly pulled her closer to the stage.

One step, another, and she kept her eyes on the ground save for a single glance.

She should say no, and yet ... yet it felt so safe. There was no reason to believe it was, but she wanted to, and the pulse was not so strong yet.

He lead her up the steps and pulled her into the rhythm of the music, leaning to match her height. Without effort he spun her round and guided her through. The rush caught on until she no longer cared she didn't know the steps. She knew other dances and did as she wanted, easily flowing into his guidance.

The fight against the dragon drowned in other feelings, his hand against her back, the pull of his hand, the synchronizing of their motion. He swirled her below his arm, they spun together around until they were all that mattered.

When he stepped back he showed her some of the moves, and she responded in kind without worrying too much whether it matched. Dancing was not merely swinging around, he did so much with feet it. That she could match easily until it was more symmetry than him leading, but when he offered his arm she fell back into his guidance.

The music swelled to its final beats and without him indicating it, they hooked hands and bowed on the last notes.

Breathless in the aftermath, her eyes fell on him, and her heart pounded, but the dragon did not stir. She could behold how gorgeous he was without looking away.

Almost like trance, only he existed. None of the crowd mattered, even the fireworks hazed into the background. Within that, she almost didn't register the explosion. It was the statement on his face and turning away that shook her out of the dream.

Hadn't Belphegor been on some explosive project?

 **· · · · · · ·**

It was near to midnight when Kaisar arrived at Rita's place. The lights were still on, and noise came from within. He almost went by the front door, but changed his mind and went through the alley door.

He had a key for emergencies, which he had never used before. Using these now felt dishonorable, but he had to know. The explosion at the doctor's mansion had forced him to mobilize on a festival's night, to find a carnage of fire and blood within a laboratory barely discernible. Half the mansion had exploded and toxic gases hung around.

It was blamed on demons the doctor had bought casting some kind of miasma curse, but he suspected otherwise, and he knew exactly where to look.

Rita's small reception room was packed with demons, and one human lay on the bench couching. A housekeeper, judging by the clothing.

All froze up when they saw him. He quickly scanned the place, but didn't see Azazel himself. There were black feathers on the ground though.

"So, Kaisar, What are you doing here?" Rita asked.

"What did you get involved with, Rita?"

"Nothing," she said. "I'm just treating some patients."

She played dumb. That was a first for her.

Well then, he had a job to do. "I need to take that woman with me. Rita, when will she be ready?"

Rita held up two fingers. "One, I'm not done treating her."

Someone else spoke the rest. "And two, she knows too much."

He knew that voice. Before he could turn, a hand closed around his shoulder and jerked him all the way back into the alley.

"And now you know too much as well."

Her face was covered, but the horns was unmistakable. He shook himself loose.

"Whatever you're planning, it won't do any good," he said. "Azazel told me it's a choice between killing innocents and killing those who will kill more. Was tonight the same, or are you taking liberties now, the way you accuse humankind of going too far?"

"What would _you_ even know?" the demon lady snapped. "You have it so easy, the honored knight who never lived a day in slavery. Too far? You have no idea."

"If humans are to believe demons are not worthy of this treatment, this will not make it easier. Why do you want to make it worse? Surely there was a way to liberate the victims without killing the doctors."

"Do you think I want this? I'd have things go back to the way they were if I could make it so," she snapped.

"We could make it better, if only we found some common ground. All this violence isn't necessary, it only makes it worse."

"Find common ground? I _was_ humankind's friend!" She took a step closer, and Kaisar's honed insticts flared up. He dealt with a demon, an angry one, and if not for her contrary words he would have pulled his sword already.

"What do you mean?"

"I am a sage," she hissed. "I spent centuries sharing my knowledge with humankind, only to see a number of my inventions used on my own people. So yes, I tested something on your people. I didn't _intend_ to kill anyone innocent, but you know what? I knew there was a risk. And maybe you don't intend for your knights to sell people to torturers, but it still happened."

In the silence that fell, he turned away. He wanted nothing more than to be left alone from this hateful eyes. She came after him in the way he felt he shouldn't run.

"If I disappear now, it will raise a lot of questions," he said. "I'm sure you can guess where they will search first."

With him an honored hero, he could be considered a wanted target for the demons, and she knew the same. She lowered her pace, rather than catch up.

The next words he spoke were true, even as they felt like the biggest lie he had ever told. "I did not betray Azazel, I did not betray you or the demons I guided away. Let me go and I will not bring trouble here. Can you assure me that woman will be alright?"

"She did not breathe much, she will live." Those were the first words of her tonight not laced with venom.

She let him go, but not without new words to haunt him, and a more living concern. They had a captive now. Maybe they had others.

He returned to the palace, plagued by doubts. That woman might live as a captive, and the other doctors were dead. They'd never save anyone again. Azazel and his new band were still wrong too. He could understand them, but he shouldn't, and he wouldn't let this dissuade him from what was right.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Before she came here, often she couldn't even look at handsome for a second before turning into a dragon. After a while of being tutored by Favaro that had gotten a little better for some reason, but nothing to this effect. As they walked back to the carriage, she kept stealing glances at him, and her heart beat fast as ever, but it wasn't so ... dangerous, somehow. The pulse was strong but beat on a cushion. She had room to think about more than the pretty and the threat of transformation. That thought being all, _just who was he, that he had an interest in her?_

"I haven't danced free style since I was a child," he said at last, once they were out at the edge of the festival grounds, barely still in the light of the torches.

Yep, definitely some kind of weird noble family here.

"I wouldn't have guessed," she said.

"You're quite good too. Was this really your first time?"

 _Aaaaaaaah!_ She stumbled and froze up.

"Well, it's the first time I've danced with a man, and the first time I've been out ... " On a date. "In the city. Any city really. I haven't seen cities before I came here."

"The same for me."

"No way, you were a natural!"

"I meant going around the city with a woman. I had quite a good time."

Never around the city with ... despite living here ... and he had fun, with _her_.

That wouldn't last, if she threw the city in chaos. "Say ... what would you do, if the demons, uh, got fed up?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if they tried to make it so they could be treated as well as the humans are by force?"

"Are you worried that explosion was caused by demons?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry about it, this kingdom is the safest place on earth. How would the demons even break it down?"

"Well, if the king was deposed and they put a nicer one on the throne?" Eligos had said some stuff about government voids, but that was hardly her forte so she hadn't bothered trying to figure that out.

"Why depose the king when he was elected most suitable out of the candidates? The next one may be less competent."

"I don't think he's competent if there are people in his kingdom who would be much better off if he was dead." Nina held up her arm, fake bracelet on display. "You know, that demon who saved me didn't have any reason to believe he'd get anything out of it. In fact, I was hunting him."

He still had that same warm smile. "You are too caught up with individuals. I do not disbelieve what you say, the demons you know may well be kind to you and I have no doubt exceptions exist. The question of the demons is how to surpress their evil. Ordinary people with poor understanding of the world would say, oh, the kingdom hates the demons. No, ask yourself why the king would allow them to serve among the Orleans Knights or hold other paid jobs. The king's battle wasn't against the demons as individuals, but against the way of living they endorse. Do you understand that?"

"You mean like their culture being bad?"

"Exactly."

"What if we just raised them differently?" Nina said. "The kids have no idea, right?"

"Hmm. That is a direction, but the efforts to achieve such a thing should not be our burden to bear, when the kingdom is barely just out of the turmoil of both Bahamut _and_ the forces of hell."

"How can we know there's no other way if it's never been tried?"

"We might yet," he said, and his voice was the way she loved it again. "In time. It does not need to be this time, nor our time."

Our time ... the butteflies spun in her stomach again, her heart sped up but not to intolerable degrees, and she said, "Our time ... "

Might soon be over.

If she could get him involved in the rebellion, then maybe she could keep him safe and show him better. If all went well, nothing bad would happen to him. She was the dragon everyone in the rebellion relied on, they had to listen to her.

And she still didn't know his name.

"Say, can I know your name?"

"My name? Chris."

"May we see some time for another dance, when all is well?"

"I don't know."

"Why not?"

"I hope that we may see each other again." JHis entrancing smile was worse than ever and the pulse of transformation assaulted her. She turned away and fixed her eyes on the little island in the river, peering at the shining window of the house atop.

"Next time, perhaps we can agree on a time so I won't have to haunt the carriage all the time," he said.

She made up her mind then and there. She wouldn't get him involved with anything dangerous, but she'd try to steer him in the right direction. He probably had a lot of misinformation and he had some good points too. Maybe they could find common ground after all.

"Let's meet in a few days at ... " Somewhere inconspicuous, not the carriage, a little hidden, and not here where the rebellion might see him. "Do you know that small church? It's one of the few places in the city that has a statue."

"Before a church ... ah, you mean the statue of Jeanne d'Arc felling Pazuzu and Azazel?"

... the what now?

 **· · · · · · ·**


	7. Requiems

**· · · · · · ·**

The post raven's pecking at the window was extra obnoxious today, not to mention early. Kaisar had sent a letter to Rita in the night still, expecting Rita to answer at her leisure, yet it was here already.

The letter had a ticked off rant telling him to stay out her business at night and no, she hadn't joined any scheme or rebellion, like they'd even be able to pay. Besides, he ought to know better than to think she'd sic any demons on her colleages. She'd just taken a paying job.

It was only a little relief. Azazel had started gathering other demons first the first time in years, right after the appearance of that dragon. Something about this was off.

Something slapped on the window post and when he lowered the letter, he saw the hand hauled someone into the window. A clutter of knightly white cloth and unknightly red afro with ponytail fell into his room.

"Favaro!"

Favaro rolled onto his feet and grinned. "Ey, Kaisar. What took you so long?"

"How did you get in here without announcement?"

"The guy at the gate recognized me, thought I wanted to rejoin," he said with a gesture at his old get up. "... and apparently isn't aware of the warrant on my head."

He was in trouble, wasn't he? And came here to be bailed out. Great timing. "What did you do this time?"

"I just saved the world, man. I dunno what Charioce tells his people, but I'm gonna guess he's after cause I was the hero of the prophecy. If the Onyx Knights see me, they'll pursue," he said. "I only here because have to tell you something really important : don't do it. You need to stay put. Don't talk to the king, don't rat them out."

"Are you involved with Azazel's rebellion?"

"Azazel?"

"If not that, then who are you talking about?"

"Azazel's actually heading it, eh? No wonder she was ..." Favaro ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, we're taking a huge risk by messing with fate. We know little on what's coming, only that we have to derail fate. Y'know you've got quite the tyrannical empire here, right? It needs to end, Kaisar. Why aren't you doing anything?"

That was more than he could process, so he responded only to what he knew. "I've spoken to the king numerous times, but each time he rebukes me. It's difficult, I can't show too much sympathy for the demons, or my status will be revoked. But there has to be a way for the tribes to live in peace, and I will find it! I won't give up on it."

Favaro smirked. "Look, after being hunted by you for years I appreciate you value talking things out now, but don't you think you're taking it a bit far? This isn't something like with my dad betraying yours. You got evidence this time Charioce is doing shit, and I don't remember you giving the criminals we used to hunt seven years to repent."

"This is a different situation. The king is not a criminal but a man in a difficult position. While I cannot explain him, he—"

Favaro's smirk dropped. "Cut it out, Kaisar. He's got more of a body count than all of our old bounties combined. What are you waiting for?"

"The king is a reasonable man, he may yet come to understand that peace is achievable. People change. Even Azazel did. He saved our lives and that vendetta of his was hot air. If even someone like him can change eventually, a man like king Charioce XVII should too. He is not a bad person, he truly cares for his people. He will come to see reason in time."

"I dunno man, I don't feel much of that care when his soldiers hunt me down."

"You must've done something to provoke that! You said yourself you don't know what he tells his men, so you don't know his order."

"I didn't do anything criminal since _she_ is gone. I can't afford to get arrested when I have to be free to help her come free."

Kaisar frowned. "I've known you to be a liar for a long time, Favaro. I may hope we have become honest to each other, but I can't tell. What I can tell is that the king may have to reconsider some things, but you have to consider all the good he has done for the kingdom. It has never prospered as much as now."

"Man, I can't believe Azazel hasn't offed you yet," Favaro said. "You still gonna talk like this when your king tries to be a better world savior than me? He's trying to take my place as world savior, and he's risking everything for it."

"I won't hear any more of this nonsense! Your pride got to your head if you think that this is about you."

"My pride? Worry about your own, _or does your chivalry not count the demons_?"

It sounded so unlike Favaro to say that, and too much like what Azazel had said. Something was wrong here.

Favaro took him by the shoulders. "Charioce XVII has to die. You are in a better position than any of us to do that."

"Favaro! I swore loyalty to the king—"

"Dammit, Kaisar! Charioce XIII killed your father over losing some rocks! Who does his son have to kill before you understand that that's _worthless_?"

"Without law and honor, society will collapse. I refuse to listen to this vile talk any further." He shook off Favaro's hands. "Guards, we have an intruder!"

"That's what you're going to be like, eh?" Favaro only looked disappointed.

Kaisar turned to the door and didn't look back as Favaro jumped out of the window.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina woke in the afternoon but stayed in her bed, paper in hands under the light of a candle. She wanted to ask her mother for advice, but the words never manifested on paper.

 _The king here isn't good to people and the stories the traders tell aren't complete. I wonder, could we help out the people who suffer? We are so powerful, we could end this._ That would lead to describing the rebellion, and her uncertainty on Azazel's goals. With everyone being excited for imminent liberation, it was such an awkward topic to start. _Hey, any of you know whether Azazel tried to invade this city once?_

According to Chris that had been about a decade ago, five years _before_ the demons were enslaved. It couldn't have been for good reasons. What if he just wanted to conquer the city out of spite?

Maybe she should've been content with her job rather than hunt down the rag demon. Everything would have been so much easier. Maybe she'd even have met Chris anyway if she'd gotten the idea to wrestle for money later.

She'd also be uncaring for the suffering around her. The demons _were_ people and Azazel was ... well, they'd saved each other, they were allies, and she was pretty sure they agreed on the fate of the demons at least. It was the fate of the humans she was so unsure of.

Granted, it wasn't like every single human or dragon she knew had a unique name. Even in her small home down, there were currently two Lazlo's. Demons lived about as long as her dragon kin, so Azazel could be a popular name. That just made it more awkward to ask.

By the time she had to get up for a planning thing with Eligos, she still didn't have a letter on paper.

Eligos's thing was drilling commands into her head, hoping they'd stick into her dragon self. Apparently she was able to mimic animals as a dragon — quite a surprise. People at home didn't really talk much about what she did as a dragon. Said she rampaged a little, sometimes and was more stupid in the time after transformation.

Which brought her to another problem.

Her mother had always told her not to hate her dragon problem, so she tried not to. Over time she had grown more endurance to triggers. The most frequent one, handsome guys, had already started getting better when Favaro become her mentor. Really, she ought to be happy it had gotten to the point she needed hugs to go bonkers. Yet that wasn't something she should concerned about since she wasn't supposed to hate herself for her problem. Or hate her problem. She'd never understood that difference.

That just got so much more complicated. She didn't even know how to break her conflict to her mother, what was she supposed to write now? The words that were on paper didn't seem enough.

 _It seems I'm getting more control of one of my triggers, but things are now so that that might be a bad thing, because I might have to be a dragon to protect some friends. A lot might change here, and I don't think I'm prepared._

She ought to wish for control and yet found herself wishing her dragon side did not exist. And for there to be no need for a rebellion that needed her to go dragon. These converged in one nagging question : _should she want to turn into a dragon for Azazel?_

There was nothing that said he wasn't the Azazel to inspire all other name bearers to get that name, if there were indeed more.

After the work with Eligos, she wandered through most empty halls. Far outside were the cheers of the parade and the festival. Inside here, the demons gathered in the largest hall of the underground.

They had lit small fires from magic circles across the hall, lined with candles that burned violet. Kneeling around these circles, they laid thin papers with names on them as a murmur and a chant filled the space.

Humans had carried candles through the street to celebrate their deaths, just yesterday Nina had been admiring that parade. She felt like an intruder here.

Azazel sat crosslegged near the center of the hall, not close to any circle and his eyes turned down. He mourned along with them. Here it seemed so wrong to even think he'd do something like invade a city for some evil reason.

Eligos joined the mourning, but she saw neither Dante nor Belphegor, which was more than a little odd. After finding Arachna in her walls, she learned they were still in the sickbay.

Said sickbay had a lot of new faces, all sickly and scarred yet not starved. The scent of rotten wounds mixed with antiseptics prickled at her dragon senses — it prickled instincts she wanted to ignore.

Dante softly spoke with one of the newcomers who could sit up, and Adva was in a corner fussing over her friend.

When Dante saw Nina, he approached her. "Anything you need?"

"What's wrong with them?" She was dimly aware that they'd freed some people last night, but why were they here?

"They've been experimented on by doctors," Dante said. "It's considered impure to harvest medicine and knowledge from demons for humans, so they did it in secret. They also wanted to harvest hybrids and try out surrogate hosts. The doctors buy off the black market to avoid trouble, since there's a penalty and their victims are killed on sight by authorities. I figured we could keep them here until Charioce is defeated."

A human woman staggered past them, going for a bucket to throw up in.

"Oh, we have humans joining us too now?" Nina said.

"That's not a member," Dante said. "She got caught up, we're just keeping her here so she can't rat us out."

"Oh."

That was actually not alright. How'd she get caught up in a way she could rat them out?

Nina set course to Belphegor's laboratory, ready to burst in with questions.

If only she could find the door.

Arachna hadn't hidden it, but the fumes did. Kolraun sat far outside with watery eyes while Durahanem waved a cloth to thin out the smoke.

"Uhm ... how did the bomb go?"

"Tehcnically effective," Kolrain said with a finger raised. "We need to adjust a few things and make it less other things."

"It was supposed to just knock humans out cold," Durahanem said. "Some did, others didn't. We need to get this mess out of here, we can't test more since it polutes the sample. You don't happen to have handy magic for that, do you?"

She didn't, but others did. Bacchus and Hamsa were in today, so she dragged them along and got Bacchus to enchant Hamsa to grow. Oversized Hamsa could wave off the smokes easily.

Inside, Belphegor paced around her laboratory, taking only short deep breaths.

"Bel, what's wrong?" Nina asked, ignoring the unpleasant prickle in her nose.

"Nothing's wrong with _me_." She sounded angry somehow. "I just need to get this right in time."

"Can I help?"

"No! ... no, you're part human, you can't. You have to stay away until I'm sure it's safe." She spotted the gods. "You. Listen, we need a way to move people better. I can't guarantee this will go right, maybe I can't use it at all, we need something secure. Is your carriage air proof?"

"Uh ... I dunno," Bacchus said.

"Okay, you need to make the carriage bigger. If we can transport more people we don't need to knock so many out."

"What's your deal anyway? They're enemy soldiers."

"One bad wind and it's going to blow into the city, don't you understand?"

"I guess."

"If you can choose the size of something, you should be able to shrink things," Belphegor said. "And there must be magic that handles gravity that does internal stability support because gravity still affected Hamsa externally but not internally, because duck legs are not built for that kind of weight and yet they didn't break. We can do a lot with that, I'm sure."

"I dunno, I'm not a god of inventions. Or do you wanna experiment with my powers too?"

"No ... Then apply it on the carriage at least."

"Hey, what're you fretting on, miss?" Hamsa asked.

"I knew, but I thought I had it under control, and I even told him like it was something I ..." She dropped on a nearby chair. "I didn't. What am I doing?"

This seemed like a horrible time to ask them about what that thing with Magdalene was, but it still felt safer than bring up anything like an invasion by Azazel. Bacchus was familiar enough for it to feel under control.

"Hey, can I ask something random?" Nina asked.

"Hmm?"

"What was that about Magdalene? Why did she target you?"

Belphegor gave her an odd look, which turned tired quickly. "I used to give out magic in exchange for services in the past, and favored scholars and wise people. Some of them committed crimes with my magic, I did not run a thorough background check or track what they did with my gifts. I didn't know them as well as I should have."

"Yeah, the whole bounty tracking system just responds to demonic invocation first," Bacchus said. "Lots of other things to worry about, Nina."

"Oh, okay, so it was all a misunderstanding?"

"I wouldn't put it that way, but if you mean whether I intended for my magic to be used like that, I did not. Not then, at least," Belphegor said.

"That's good. I mean, not the battle or anything, just that— anyway, why isn't Rita here to help you with this? She's an expert at poison stuff and illness."

That got confused looks from everyone. "Why would she?"

"Don't tell me Rita isn't part of the rebellion _either_?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

Dromos pounded in his head still, tearing together the injuries from the dragon, giving strength in a way that might kill him one day. The court whispered he was superhuman, and he was; none other could bend Dromos to their will like this. He just didn't use it much, he had to save himself for the right time. So the pounding remained and he just endured until the time he would prove to be the most exceptional spirit.

It just didn't quite feel so noble after spending half of last night partying with an incredibly, inexhaustibly cute girl. His habit of dutifully getting enough sleep for optimal performance was shot to hell or some other abyss the moment she smiled at him.

Nothing like the stiff, pasted faces of the handmaidens around him, who now got ready to help him dress. Less yet like sir sourface with the weird hair, who wanted an audience right now as Charioce was getting dressed.

One way the girl was a curse on his life was how much more drab everyone else felt in comparison.

"Let him in."

He didn't turn around, not worth it.

"Your majesty, I believe the demons are planning an unrising and urge you not to participate in the parade or any other public activity until we dismantle them."

"Let them attack, it'll be interesting." A successful parade or successful crushed rebellion, either was fine for his reputation.

"I urge you to reconsider. You have seen what power the rag demon has been hiding and now he has allied with that dragon. So many lives will be lost if they rampage during a crowd."

"Do you actually have any evidence they will strike today?"

"No. But we've seen suspicious activity that links that explosion at that doctor's place to an organized group of demons."

"If they plan anything and give it away the night before, they are either so foolish we can easily handle them, or they are smart enough not to strike today." It would be great if they did, however. The sooner he got the head of the rag demon, the better. "The kingdom needs a determined leader and such I shall be. Arrange for a few more wyvern riders in the air, if you must. Keep them away from the fireworks, or better yet, have them launch some fire to add to it. I wouldn't want my citizens to think I have reason to fear more than usual. Of course, unless you have a reason why you think we should fear worse ..."

Kaisar hesitated before he said, "No." What a weak voice.

"Is the reason you happened to catch wind that Azazel of yours?" Charioce asked.

"No, but ... in an indirect way, perhaps." Liar. The man was so easily read.

"Anything else I should know?"

" ... no."

Not even that there were whispers Favaro Leone had entered the castle this early morning? Such bad form. Any other day he might have called it out, but today he understood that kind of weakness a little better.

After ten years of mastering rigid self control and perfect focus on his goal, that girl just happened. Just like that. Some old guy, probably a god to boot, just set him up and he didn't even have the heart to say no. What a _disgrace_.

That said, he was not as weak as Kaisar, whose attachments might do worse than a little sleep deprivation, be it for the kingdom or himself. And Favaro, well, he'd catch him yet.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina didn't want to hang out in the underground for long, amid the mourning and the sick people, but she wasn't into the mood for going to the parade either. Her next date meeting with Chris wasn't until tomorrow. So she took a few out door jobs, including tapping into her funds to pay Seppe and Saphant for carrying down all the escaped demons.

"Thanks for the help with the injured people," Nina said as she dumped three bags at their shack. "Here's the money, and I got you some extra food that lasts longer. I tried to get some cinnamon things, but the nearest baker who didn't recognize me had heard of me, so ... it didn't work out."

"Meh, we can't live on sweets anyway. We're spending this on a lot of meat," Seppe said. "How did you get so filthy rich anyway? We're told you're responsible for Rita's rations going through the roof. Did you rob someone?"

"It was a gift, I swear. He's a really lovely guy and I think we might be dating." Her cheeks flushed at the thought — so presumptive, nothing was official yet! And embarassing, change topic now. Let's see ... Seppe was the biggest demon she'd seen in the city, and he ate to match. "Say, what'd you even eat before I came along?"

"I'm a necromancer, so I just spread a reanimation field on the forest to summon dead animals to me," Seppe said.

"If you can summon lots of dead animals to you, could you make an army out of them?" Nina asked.

"Nah, I don't have enough exteral energy left," he said.

"The elevator take it all up?"

"What? Ugh, no, are you dense?" Saphant said.

"I am when it to magic. I've had exactly one lesson in it."

Sapphant sighed. "Okay, listen up. Everyone has internal and external magic energy. We get the latter from our realms to do things like summoning, teleportation, powering artificial armies, casting curses that remain when we leave, and so on. It needs to be stirred and shaped up, though. Hell's generic source is stirred up by; any fear really, of the dark, of death, wild beasts. It congregates in invisible rivers. We give that river instructions to do things. The more powerful a demon is, the greater is the channel they can govern. However, with hell's cities abandoned and tribe having moved to Helheim, the preexisting channels are disrupted and weakened. Less fear in general, less fear direct at demons, less structure in hell. Few of us can even uses the nexuses to travel. Oh, it'd be so useful if hatred instead could stir it up into use, we'd be in a very different position now."

"Huh?"

"Different emotions ripen different types of energy, and one can learn to employ other channel types. Technically," Saphant said. "We're not sure how that works, though. I've got a specialized in dedication to work or something, but that goes to heaven and I get little of that. On what logic Rita works beats me."

That sounded too arcane for Nina, she planned to ask someone else later in favor of that little snippet at the end. "What's with Rita?

"We're not really sure, but Rita's got a hell stream going that doesn't flicker," Seppe said. "She can even turn _demons_ into zombies and keep it going even when she isn't the city."

Five minutes later, Nina was at Rita's door.

"Rita!" Nina burst through the back door. "I have to talk to you, it's really important!"

Rita took one look at her and said, "No."

"Just hear me out!"

"... after I'm done with this patient. And the answer will still be no."

With the worst cases already helped, Rita now made her way through demons who had allergies, starvation symptoms, infections and the like. She still handed out food and still wasn't short on anything — Nina had known that ring was expensive, but only now did it really start to sink in how much. There were hundreds and hundreds of people in the ghetto, weren't there?"

Anyway, more important was fleshing out the rebellion.

After Rita was done, she joined Nina in the back room and said, "Five minutes."

"Sooo, I've been told you can raise zombie armies because you have indefinite access to extra fancy hell juice. How come you're not a key figure to the rebellion?"

"You can't pay me enough to make myself a target."

"Pretty please?"

"I don't do altruism."

"Don't you want to save Kaisar? It's only a matter of time before he gets into trouble. Also, Azazel is pissed cause those doctors were experimenting on demons a lot, and he thinks you knew and hid it."

"Kaisar better take care of himself Azazel knows better than to pick a fight with the only competent doctor in the slums."

"Aren't you friends?"

"No."

Nina folded her arms. "What if I let you harvest magical dragon bits when I transform?"

"No."

"What if I convince the super powerful and very old old lady from my village you can reanimate her corpse when she dies?"

Rita paused for a moment, but still said, "No."

Nina hunched down. "Is there anything at all you want?"

"Well, there _is_ one thing I want. How do you feel about stealing?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel had sworn on his blood to never return to heaven unless it was to overthrow it. How was he supposed to know some dragon girl was going to drag him here because a zombie girl wanted a damned bible?

Not that vows matter much, save one. He would restore demonkind to its former glory and that wasn't happening fast enough. They should be on the streets, ready to land the final blow on Charioce _yesterday_ , but noooo, here they were, crawling through a vent.

Bacchus had refused to give the black bible back to Rita over the years, either because he didn't wanna piss off heaven, or because he didn't trust her. Not wanting to alert him when he was already hesitant to help the rebellion, Nina had roped the one other person who could open gates to heavenly property : him.

As one of the watchers he had been assigned to various earth related missions, including transport of the bounty tablets on the occasional errand. He had never been inside the actual fault, however, so the best gate he could make was one to a maintenance room at the entrance. From there on they went though a vent or two, until they reached the external walkways. This was a viewing area for the youngest gods to behold the great evils demons would wreak on the world.

"That's a lot of shelves." Nina pressed her face against the glass. "Why don't you just send some snakes and teleport all over the place?"

"The alarm goes off if I use any dark magic here, especially the ranged kind," he said. "This is in heaven's domain so the divine register will be optimal."

"That sounds like what Eligos calls class A information, as in the things you should absolutely tell me before we start a mission."

"Just help me get to this control panel."

He pointed at a round plate up in the wall, easily accessible to fliers. Nina hitched her fingers below his feet and lifted him. If he stood on his toes his claws could just reach the edge.

He raised his left hand. Though pale and with purple claws, it still had enough angelic flesh. If remembered the code right, it would accept him.

The system was so weakened, it flickered every few seconds. He had to try twice for the system's own fault; heaven really ought to switch to something other than fate for its systems.

The door opened, letting them into an expanse with hundreds of shelves and a few pillars. There size didn't mean millions of prisoners, though, Nina's dread was misplaced.

The storage had been designed to display : marble shelves displayed the countless small stone tablets with room for writing below. Souls were trapped these with their last faces engraved on the surface, thousands of fearful, desperate glances staring forever frozen at the young gods learning to hate demonkind. Actual demons were not on display; none of these would have power if anyone woke them here by accident.

The lanes stretched out silently, they had to keep their pace slow and measured to avoid making too much sound. Nina adapted to his gait without prompting.

He tried to get an idea of the categorization : by names, with the lesser demons in corners and more renowned ones closer to the main lane. Some of the shelves circled around prolific demons that had been slain by angels. Those were destroyed entirely, but sometimes a piece of armor or weapon that could be put on a pedestal — not for honor but to be hated.

A single angel flew across the lanes to guard and direct cleaning machines, dodging him was easy enough by slipping into one of the little maintenance stations that littered the vast hall. In there they could talk without risk. Nina talked at once, of course.

"So how do you even know what that book Rita wants looks like?"

"I gave it to her." Dropped it near her village during a monster plague that he might have had a hand in.

"How'd she lose it?"

"Some bounty hunters caught up to her," he said.

"Oh. I'm glad she escaped at least."

Azazel chuckled. "Escape? She _joined_ them, that's how she met that knight. They just caught the book."

"They caught _the book_? How does this bounty system even work?"

"The system doesn't register crimes, it registers hell pacts," Azazel said. "A pact channels power from hell, which the divine judgment system can detect with a sweep system over the land. If the channel links to a book, it registers the book and a snapshot of its current looks. The zombie girl counted as related enough."

The more powerful the demon, the stronger the channel they could craft and leave behind, and the easier the system picked them up. Azazel suspected somewhere in this hall he had a shelf. The question was whether the bible would be there; he had no created it but had brought it to the human world. If they were particularly unlucky, it would be with the actual author, whom he didn't know.

"What's going on inside the rocks?" Nina asked.

"I don't know." He took out a paper on which he'd drawn the black bible and write down his best guess at the Unknown, Miscellaneous and Random categories, assuming they existed. "Look for it under this section, and don't change halls without me knowing. Got it?"

"Azazel," Nina said. "That's a class B."

"Just go find the book."

With her off to the harmless sections, he sought out his own section. If it wasn't there, he'd check for an Assorted category or whether there was a storage room for thing not on display.

He found he had a circle of shelves around an empty pedestal, awaiting a sign of his execution. Dozens of tablets were lined up here just in the primary pact category, some in clusters, some with additions as the pacted had founded organizations with members who invoked other demons.

Between his freedom and now were about three centuries. The cold war between Belzebuth trying to leech tribal loyalty and Lucifer's sporadic bursts of dominance usually kept him occupied, but often he just had time to kill. Physical torture wasn't interesting in the long run, human decisions were. He'd loved finding the most repulsive humans he could, give them a little shove and watch the misery unfold. Sometimes a single human, sometimes a number on opposing sides, sometimes to start a movement. Through the domino effect he must've caused thousands of deaths without lifting a finger.

Rita had been one of his first games and still one of the best surprises. Who would have imagined that of all people in that village, it'd be the little daughter of the doctor who would master it? What a perversion. It'd given him a taste for tempting out the wild of humans so they'd corrupt themselves.

He'd altered the course of human history, no doubt. Now humans changed history themselves and used demons as their playthings. What if he'd ... he didn't need these thoughts. Not now.

Nina burst his bubble by arriving. Cradled in her hand lay the tablet of the black bible. "This it?"

"Yes." That was quick.

"Great, we can leave now," she whispered a little too loud.

"Not yet." He swiped a few of the tablets. Lacking a large enough pocket, he took Nina's whip out of her bag and stuffed them in there.

"Hey! Where am I gonna leave my whip now?"

"If there will be a fight, use it."

She pouted. "Okay fine, but you should do some fighting too."

"We're getting out of here without a fight," he said. "These guards are so stupid, they wouldn't catch."

"Unless I punched the glass to get out the tablet and then ran around till I spotted you cause Class A on both of us, we have no rendezvous point." With embarrassed grin she held up her other hand, which was poorly bandaged.

Oh, great. He wasn't even sure whom to be angry at, her for being clumsy or himself for forgetting she had neither holy craft nor claws.

The guard flew on over the shelves, stopped dead in the air and yelled, "Intruders!" before shooting a rippling alert flare.

Azazel picked up Nina and flew off, right for the nexus point.

The exit door of the hall was still open, as were the next few doors.

The door to the maintenance place they'd used to enter was very much not. And he'd been flying too fast to slow down.

He was barely able to avoid Nina's head splitting open when they collided with the door.

They sprawled over the ground while a flock of guards closed in.

"No, don't fight him! You can't win, that's Azazel!"

They had the sense to back away in fear. Azazel was about to rush ahead and break open that door, when the ripple of the gate stopped him. Someone else had used it to enter.

The door opened. In stepped a calm woman with pale blonde hair and red wings with rounded gems embedded. He only knew her by reputation, which had been glowing praise when he'd heard it as an angel. That spelled nothing but doom for a demon. The judge Dione.

He spun around and pulled Nina along.

"Wait! Aren't we going to the portal?"

He could fight Dione on a better day, but Nina was a target when he had no shields and he should avoid injury to be at peak for killing Charioce.

He blasted over the five walls in their way and dived out of the building, straight into the raging clouds below Vanaheimr.

Lightning cracked around them and winds threatened to sweep them into a maze of air currents. At least Nina didn't start glowing; the bigger the target the more chance they'd be hit.

Lightning found them anyway. The pain sent him off course, he lost balance and had too much speed to regain it even after he would out of the barrier. The mountains below sped forward and he just barely angled.

A bolt of fire hit him between the wings and sent him careening further down to the mountains. Dione must've given chase, so he kept the speed, spun around to the dark side of a mountain and used it to dive into a snow flanked slope. Using his snakes he collapsed the hole behind him and smoothed it back up. Staying in place within the small space, he waited. Nina had lost consciousness again, like the first time she'd fallen, or perhaps it was the lightning; the scales pushing through her skin was new. For a flicker he thought she'd transform, but there was no glow and it stopped on its own.

After a while, he poked a serpent out of the snow and found a clear sky. He waited a little more, but nobody passed.

He laid Nina down, flared his wings to get rid of the snow and stood up, sword ready in case of a trap.

Nothing. Dione must've moved on or gone back. What a fool to even give chase, rather than guess he had no interest in a fight. Granted, little over five years ago he would have slaughtered her.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel avoided the city during the day of the festival, holed in the carriage with the sporadic presence of Bacchus and the constant presence of overexcitable demon children. They really lived there, right there in a divine carriage. Unbelievable, especially since Bacchus spent half his time getting drunk in taverns.

So she learned the names of demons without a need to slay them. Siem, Arai, Kiprio, Otyan, Daurra, Mugaro.

Worse yet, they _helped_ her adjust the system. When she needed a sample of the green rocks, they brought an old demon from the slums whose collar had not been removed yet. Sofiel and her servants spent a few hours trying to get it off without touching the rock — made harder because the former owner of the demon liked to speak the torture spell out of spite every so now and then. It left them with one sample of active power of Dromos, the bizarre situation of a demon profoundly thanking them to the point of tears and utter confusion on how to report this to Gabriel. Sure, these demons had a lot of their own to gain by taking down Charioce, but well, she'd expected more resistance to the idea. Some kind of monologue about this was only for their selfish goals or something. They didn't hate Bacchus and Hamsa, despite knowing they were gods, and they had to realize she herself was a god, right?

Three days after the festival, she had an adjustment in the justice system that could process Dromos and the decision to not tell Gabriel how she got it.

It took a lot of concentration to create a portal to heaven. A visual channel was easier, but required more concentration now the flows of heaven were weaker. For this purpose she went to a concentration of faith, one of the few churches in Anatae that still ran.

Sofiel paused at the statue before the small church, her gaze on the face of Jeanne d'Arc. It was a remarkable match, perhaps the art value being why the statue hadn't been removed yet. She could not imagine any other reason why Charioce would allow it to stand, knowing he had cast Jeanne out and hunted her down. How he must hate that even now, humans spoke in reverence of Jeanne d'Arc.

"My lady, you are late." The soft voice belonged to the priest of the church. "I worried."

"I am well." She quickly slipped in.

He was a faithful man who would not rat her out. Two years ago Sofiel had come to him to discuss ways to revive the faith humankind had in the gods, which had led to disaster. He had not been implicated, fortunately, and still took the risk to host her now.

She had installed a beacon on the altar that linked with the channels of Vanaheimr. The highest order, straight to Gabriel's palace. Behind her, the priest closed the doors and Sofiel stood close, nervous of treacherous eyes despite the precautions.

The circle soon filled with the soft colors of heaven. Gabriel appeared shortly after.

"Sofiel, report."

"I have found no sign of the holy child, but there is a demon in the capital whose description suggests Azazel. He has attempted to kill Charioce XVII," Sofiel said. "What should I do if I encounter him?"

"Avoid him. We have no interest in conflict with the demons now."

Sofiel certainly didn't have any interest in getting close to Lucifer's filthy court, but given their crisis, Gabriel's reply felt _incomplete_. Heaven was not outright forbidden from allying with demonkind if there was a common enemy. They had one _now_. Of course, she could understand the risk. If the demons caught wind of a child who could counter the power of Dromos they might try to take him. She didn't want to imagine what might happen if someone as wicked as Azazel got his hands on El.

"Sofiel, regardless of our common enemy, do _not_ trust demons. Azazel was in the vault a few days ago, stealing his old pact humans. If he had any interest in cooperating with us, he would have approached us otherwise."

"I understand." She didn't, but had no room to complain. She wasn't one of the four archangels _yet_. "Another matter must be reported. I have found a way to register the power of Dromos within the bounty hunter system."

"What? How?"

"I aquired one of the stones and there are people down here still opposed to Charioce XVII, who were in contact with Bacchus and had prior research and assisted me," she said. "Would you be willing to place a bounty on the head of Charioce XVII so the bracelets can be used against him?"

Gabriel frowned a little, but said, "I will first see what data is sent here, and I expect to be introduced to Bacchus and his mysterious team eventually."

Oh no.

"I'm afraid I cannot easily bring them here. The city is in high tension due to Azazel's recent actions."

"Understandable. Anything else?"

"No, my lady."

There was one other thing, namely the question what they would do to find Jeanne herself, not only her child, but Gabriel had never been interested in her. Sofiel differed on that.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 _"Seel So Ketom!"_

The stone slab dropped into the mud and Favaro sank back against the damp rocks.

Only dim daylight poured into the cave entrance above, but it was to see the blood left on the rocks and the shadow that now fell upon it.

"Well, well, here I try to find out why the king sent out a request for hunters, and I find a mere human?"

Favaro craned his neck to the silhouette in the entrance.

"It's not me you were tracking," Favaro said. "I'm just thinning the competition."

"Oh, I know it's not you. You are human, I tracked a demon. And with you being a human, I am very interested how you defeated this demon."

Favaro vaguely gestured at the cave, parts of which had collapsed. "I just made sure he was in over his head."

He had a little help. A lot of help, really. Favaro pushed against his painful limbs and forced himself on his legs. Putting his hands on his hips, he grinned. "So, who do I have the honor with?"

"But a humble servant of the lady Olivia," the silhouette said. "She hears of interesting events in Anatae."

"Wanna join in?"

"Pfffft, no. Our lady Olivia is not interested in fruitless endeavors," the demon said before slipping away. "But it pays to be cautious."

Ah, so she might be in the game acting wayward too. What a pest.

 **· · · · · · ·**

His captain of the Onyx Knights had _ideas_ sometimes. Sometimes they were good, such as finding which bastard was the best king. Sometimes they missed the point entirely. Like hiring demonic dragon slayers. The very notion! Demons could be cannon fodder for the knights at best, but letting the fate of his nation in their filthy hands? Not happening.

"Our struggle is against the parasitism of heaven and hell. What good are we if we have to leave things in their hands," Charioce said.

Chabrol shrunk away and muttered an apology, but George remained unmoved. "With all due respect, we already rely on demons to propel the capital. I see no difference in letting a demons take the brunt of another, less viable dragon."

"Let's say these hunters are strong enough to handle our enemy, why would they not join forces against us?"

"Will you see what we have found? I assure you, we have verified them their magic and questioned the reputation among other dragons, they have no connections to hell. They are demonic in nature, but not in nation. Them being large and airborne, hell was never home to them. At the very least, come see them. I cannot easily explain it, but it relates to the theory of immunity."

Ah, yes. That. The power of Dromos had very little effect on humans, which was why he couldn't afford a human rebellion. A demon rebellion would be useful to avoid exactly that; humans too busy fearing the demons would keep their tongue against their protector.

Well then, he might have a look after all.

He donned the regular armor of an Onyx Knight and stepped on a wyvern — helmet firmly on, of course.. Passing all rings of the palace walls, they reached the forest behind the castle. George informed him it had been cleared, no sport hunting today. For good reason : there stood two dragons. Charioce landed in one of the arcs of the outer wall, high above them.

One was a heavy, gray dragon with thick jaw and bulky frame. The other had a prolonged crest and was lighter in limbs, beige overall. The third was most like the red dragon, similar spikes as crest, dual horns with a same curve, but overall with better proportions. All made the red dragon look like a dwarf, and a malformed one at that. None of these dragons had a dented spine or the oversized paws.

"I see what suggest our little dragon is a mutation of some kind, but I doubt that is all you have brought me here for."

"Indeed not."

They went to a lowered section of the wall, into another arch. The dragons were just tall enough to look in. Charioce remained far behind in the shadows, power ready should anything happen.

"The king has arrived," George called. "Advance."

At cue, the dragons began to glow and shot up into the arch, growing smaller until remained were three humanoid figures. Rather naked ones. Clothes didn't appear until the glow faded.

Bye bye summoning theory, hello shapeshifters.

Each looked different. A dark gray, heavy demon with a white beard, most of his face covered with a metal plate. The other a a thinner, reddish brown one with her scarred face full on display, with a brown beard. Between elongated ears, inhuman pigment and discolored noses, they were pretty recognizable for demons, but not enough they'd stand out among the usual kind. The discolored noses were something and he'd have decided to have his knights look for one of those in the city, if not for the third one.

That one looked like an ordinary human man. Purple hair in a low ponytail, local clothes, shaved face. Only the gems on his cheek suggested connection to the others. He beheld Charioce with a dim smile that for once, Charioce couldn't place as condescension or satisfaction.

"Tainted half breed," the gray one snarled when this man stepped past him. "You better not expect to share the bounty."

That smile was satisfaction, Charioce concluded, because what it changed into now was actual condescension.

"Tainted? Hardly a befitting things to say in this world, when I can cross the roads without questioning and you cannot." He settled his eyes on Charioce. "Your majesty, let this demonic filth behind you. I am at your service."

"And you would be?"

"Call me Lao, your majesty," he said with a curteous bow the other two lacked. "It would be my honor to serve the king of humanity."

Okay, maybe George was allowed to have ideas sometimes.

 **· · · · · · ·**

It'd take four days at least until they were back; flying up into heaven through that storm was no option.

She'd woken with scales that got worse as her hunger increased. A decidedly inhuman instinct tempted her to hunt. She didn't know how to as a human, so Azazel caught mountain goats by hurling serpents at them. There was no fire to roast it on. She hated the taste of blood and raw meat, even as it kicked in those instincts worse.

He didn't complain about her needing so much food, at least. He didn't say much of anything.

Most of the time he just stared ahead blankly, more so than any long time in Anatae. It was a bit eerie knowing it wasn't just a good mask, nah, he was awful at not letting emotions explode all over his face once they were there. He just didn't feel anything all the time, did he? How could anyone like that be? She felt something all the time, herself if nothing else, and she was pretty sure others did too.

At night they slept in caves and he let her lie folded on his wings, back towards her. The bits closer to the bones were dark scales and the claw on the the joint was less hook like a bat, and more ready to stab someone, but the feathers gave some warmth. They weren't thick enough though, so she still slept uneasy. And it got cold. It was entirely too embarrassing to ask whether she could huddle closer though. Besides, he didn't like to be touched, that was clear enough by now.

About three nights into that, the thrill of sleeping so close to a hot guy had been replaced by unease. This morning she woke early again, but didn't want to get up yet. She pulled out the stone slabs and inspected them, then start stacking them next to her to build a little house.

"What are you doing?" Azazel asked, looking over his shoulder.

She froze. "I just wanted to have a look and guess what kind of people they were. I can't sleep."

He laid back down and didn't say anything else. She couldn't stand it any longer, his turned back or the blank expression. The things that felt like secrets.

Sitting up, she said, "There were so much of those tablets. It had to be thousands. Is this all Belzebuth's doing?"

"No. There's multiple countries in the underworld," Azazel sat up too and stretched his wings. "With Satan gone, Belzebuth and Lucifer vied for dominion, with a lot of undecided parties between them. I have no idea who did what and when."

"That's like two milleniums. Okay. That makes sense. So, with Belzebuth gone, your boss is now in definite charge of hell, right? Why isn't he doing something against Charioce?"

"Last time I checked, he's been reading the same book for at least seven years." And there was the slightest hint of irritation. Finally something.

"You're joking."

"I wish. Lord Lucifer is old, his sense of time is ... anyway, Lord Lucifer holds back to avoid casualties, he thinks Charioce will self destruct, but in the mean time our people die."

"Can't you send him a letter now that you know I exist?"

"There is no transit to Helheim and if I leave the city unattended who knows what will happen? It's bad enough we skipped our chance at the parade."

That didn't sound right, because if Lucifer had a hide out it didn't make sense Azazel hadn't been sending anyone there for the past five years. There was probably something more to it. Nina bumped her shoulder against his arm. "He's not here, you can say all of it. I won't snitch."

"Tch."

She bumped again. "Azazel? Come on, spill it."

No.

And a third time. "The guys at work used to say, everyone needs to vent about the administration some time. It doesn't mean you're a bad employee, it's just human."

"I am more than a mere human."

"Oh, you get the point." Another bump. "Why's lord Lucifer really being untimely?"

"... I don't get it! We should be acting, if not with a strike then with breaking out enslaved demons. Hide a young skybeast somewhere, set up a few small portals and we could be channeling demons out of any city with ease! Now he's freezing in Helheim. I bet he's still reading the same damn book."

"See it on the bright side." She held up the tablet with Rita's bible. "If he were here, he'd probably grab this very interesting book and then where would our zombie army be anywhere in the next decade?"

And he cracked an irritated grin. Bingo.

"I hope once this is over, you can convince Lucifer to start helping. Eligos keeps saying it won't be over and things about power vacuums and no kings to change the laws. Both kingdoms need help, right?"

He didn't reply, and soon that blank look was back. It settled her with an even deeper sense of disturbance.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina had agreed to meet him at the edge of the city hillside, in the upper ring. In a grove lay a small park one could enter by jumping across the wall, this was the bench furthest back. It ought to be easy for her even if she avoided going through the city alone. Or so he assumed. She did not show up on the date or any after that. Reason told him to forsake even going there, told him it was better like this, yet he went every day. He never checked whether she could scale the wall.

He shouldn't even be waiting for her.

Yet, being remembered for something other than the king who saved the world tempted him, and this girl was so simple to please. No complications, no schemes, no need for constant vigilance and evaluation. So what if her opinions on the current state of the kingdom could use some polishing. It didn't get in the way of their interaction.

He shouldn't start caring for anything.

One of his Onyx Knights whistled like a robin, the pattern for an approaching group. From behind, two of them. Shortly later, the signal for a familiar face. They knew of course he went to meet a girl. Even on this he had no real privacy, but he could bear it.

This shouldn't be an issue.

A burst of pink and yellow from the bushes and there she was. He stood up. "You didn't come on our last date."

"I'm so sorry, I had to go on a trip and transport broke down," she panted.

"I see." Dirt on her clothes and rings under her eyes. He'd swear she just stepped off the road. "Were you alone?"

"Yes! I mean, not on the road, but I am now," she sputtered. "This is a really nice park, by the way. I haven't seen any garden this nice."

"I come by here often on my way out of the city. It is a long route, but the most peaceful."

"Oh, then what's your destination?"

"I can show you."

Entertaining himself this way skipped a fine line; it did not interfere with his duty, but he was not meant to strike roots, yet here he went. He'd let loose something personal, another step down the wrong road.

When one of the garden tenders recognized the pink haired girl with the foreign clothes and was about to speak up, he flashed his bracelet at him to shut him up and found himself more than a little irritated he had to keep doing this.

They walked on in silence until they reached the green pastures outside Anatae. There lay a cheap emergency cemetery to get rid of all the corpses Bahamut had created ten years ago.

"Stone slabs for dead people," she muttered.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about something."

His mother's grave lay close to a destroyed little chapel. He could have it rebuilt, but it didn't fit. He didn't want any filthy reminders of the gods near her grave.

"This is where my mother lays. For the first sixteen years of my life, she was the only one to love me, even when I fancied others my friends more than her. She set me on my road without even knowing," he said. "She once was a concubine of a rich lord, always longing to return to the life she had lost. I do not know to what degree she desired the man she lost, or wished a better life for me, but I know some truth lies in the last. That is enough. She died in the rage of Bahamut, which is what opened the door to my chance at nobility."

"My father dies in the same reign of fire too. You didn't have one, did you?"

"All here is a sermon of mortality," Charioce said. "We cannot bring back the dead, but we can bring resurrection to the nation so less may fall in this way."

"I wish I could agree with you, but Bahamut cannot be felled," Nina said. "You know, in my village we know Bahamut as a foundation of existence itself. Our matriarch says that Bahamut grew discontent at supporting Kujata's burdens and would no longer bear it. Others say Bahamut is all that stands between the universe and Falaq, who wishes to end time itself while Bahamut only seeks to end life."

"What it wants does not matter, it is one of many enemies of humankind. But you do not need to concern yourself about any of them. They will all fall before our feet."

She turned somber for some reason. Perhaps something to do with that dead father of hers.

"Well, I hope Bahamut may fall one day, somehow," she said. "Anyway, I think I should go home. I'm really tired. Thanks for sharing something so personal to me."

"Of course."

"Uhm, I might stay in the city at least for a few more weeks," she said. "Could we, maybe, ... meet in the park more often? Only if you have time, of course. I won't always be so horribly late."

"Of course. I will show you around the park next time, and if you do not mind a late hour, perhaps we can dance to the orchestra that plays on the pavilion some times." He could make that happen easily, of course.

"I-I'd love to!" She turned red, before looking over her dirty self. "I'll look more presentable next time, promise."

"You'll always look beautiful."

Whim drove him to take her hand, raising it to his lips. He planted a kiss on the top of her palm.

As expected, she turned beet red. Less as expected was her ripping her hand loose and running away screaming. There was being embarrassed, and then there was Nina. The absurdity of her was the charm : every emotion so accessable and larger than life.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Why'd she turn into a dragon now?" Dante asked when he joined the group staring at Nina, who looked rather trapped and confused at finding herself within the underground hall.

Belphegor shrugged. "First time someone saw her running through the halls, she already glowed. Not a word out of her."

Eligos came running in almost as fast, with a big smile and a book to match. "Everyone, clear the way, let's see whether she memorized _turn around_ and everything else."

"Azazel!" Dante called down one of the passages. "Why did Nina go dragon?"

They're arrived back from some mission which Azazel claimed was rebellion related, but hadn't said anything else, and knowing him Dante wouldn't get a word out of him. So, Belphegor sat with the other demons on the platform to see how far Eligos got with Nina.

Nina understood simple directions, like _left_ and _right_. _Follow_ worked too. _No_ was a go as well. _Dodge left_ was not, nor was _shoot that_. The various commands Eligos had run over with human Nina were a hit or miss depending on complexity.

It was simple material so she grew bored soon and her eyes strayed to the map behind them, still unused. She stood up to have a better look at the detail.

When Azazel entered, she gestured at him to approach.

"You're good at this," she said. "How come you never created anything like this when in hell?"

"It's not important to do. I just had a lot of time to kill, once," he said. "And a lot of that belongs to the dragon girl."

"I can see." She had added the sun, details on the buildings, statues, colored the roads, a stairway with flowers on it and people she probably knew. A baker, a meat cart, a guy in a turban, and the child Belphegor was pretty sure had been adopted by Azazel.

In a corner of the map were two circles with crude claws and tail, and empty mean eyes. Nina hadn't even tried to make herself look either nice, nor with effort.

Belphegor ran the side of her fingers over the rock, trying to erase a particularly crooked wing. The skin of her hands was too crude though; demonblood often morphed depending on exposure and hers were the hands of crafting hard matter. Azazel picked up the discarded crayon box with his black arm. What kind of story was behind his right arm, which was pitch black exposed muscle with blades over the fingers?

He went to a nearby boulder, at the edge of the hall. Manifesting his sword, he swiped off a part of it, leaving a smooth surface. To her surprise, he sat behind it and started drawing.

She sat next to him and watched him work. It seemed like a decent time to talk. "You asked me for my plans for the future. May I ask for yours?"

"That will depend on lord Lucifer."

Lucifer who wasn't here. She shared Dante and Eligos's concerns around the passivity of Lucifer, but that wasn't something she could break with a lord of Azazel's standing. Honestly, it was strange enough they sat in a decrepit shadowy corner while he _drew_.

"Over the past days, a lot of folks have been writing down things they'd like better in hell and I reconsidered. I think I might want something more than just watching humankind rebuild. There's a few people who want to stay here too and found things like farms or study the stars of the seas. Would I be allowed?"

"Do as you like."

"Lord Azazel, I _can't_ just do as I like in the hierarchy."

He stopped drawing. "I can't make promises."

"With all due respect, the lady Cerberus was able to establish her own small court once she moved to this city. Wouldn't it be possible to give me similar authority?"

"Cerberus is here?"

"You weren't aware? She arrived a few months after the siege and founded a spot in the red light district. I'm not sure what she does, but she hasn't left despite her ability to teleport. Frankly, it confuses me."

"That all, or is there any reason you never brought her up before?"

"Well, she can be quite unpleasant," she said, unsure whether Cerberus was someone she could black talk about to Azazel.

"I know, but she has her uses tracking down lowlife."

Belphegor paused. That would be the exact reason _why_ she thought Cerberus was unpleasant, she deemed a lot of people lowlife. Azazel thought the same of humans, of course. And he didn't answer her question.

Yet, that picture turned into a pretty accurate illustration of dragon Nina.

"What's it for?" she asked.

"She doesn't know what she looks like as a dragon," he said.

On the other hand, maybe she should just keep pushing for change a little more, over time.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina barely saw Rita anymore since she got the black bible. She rushed between dwindling appointments and pages of the book, so when Tipa needed an abortion and the crude method didn't work, Belphegor wanted to visit an old acquaintance. So, Bel and her crew hauled Tipa off to the red light district. Azazel and Dante accompanied them because apparently, Bel's old boss or coworker — it was really vague — turned out to be a big hell name.

Nina had a cloak and boy's clothes, her hair tied back and without band, curtsy of Belphegor. So nobody would bother her, somehow.

Most of their trip went through alleys, shying away from the lit roads. Even back here, demon women filled the doors and corners. Some approached, but all backed off when they realized the group wasn't human. Adva walked with her eyes strictly on the ground, and Korlaun supporting Tipa seemed as much for her as for himself. Even Belphegor had a steely look on her face. Yet, everyone at the shops seemed to smile and laugh.

Their destination was a restaurant, full of spicy scents and a pinkish light. Demon women were inside around human guests, as far as Nina could see through the windows. None of them had their clothes off, like in other windows.

"Oh, it's a hostess club, right? I heard some people at my old job talking about that."

"The red light version of it," Belphegor said. "It's little more than a fancier whorehouse. Better than the alternative, but ..."

They skipped the door and slipped into a back alley.

"Oh, look at that, it's old Azazel," someone squeeked.

Nina didn't see the speaker till Azazel lifted a fluffy pooch by the neck. "Call Cerberus. We need to talk."

"What about, ruff?"

"We need to see the specialist, and Azazel has something else to discuss," Belphegor said.

A little later, they were seated in a back room, Nina having claimed the dog for her lap. The owner of the place was human, made it clear he wanted them away from the main restaurant area, but did not object to them being here. Without prompting, he announced Cerberus would arrive soon.

In came a woman in skimpy clothes and eyes more like a dog than a human's. Before her twin ponytails twitched pointy dog ears. On her hand was another little dog like ... was that a puppet?

"It really _is_ you, Azazel. My darlings smelled you around the city for a few years already, yet you never visit!" she said.

"Why would I visit you stupid mutts?"

"Lord Azazel, with all due respect, you had no idea she was here until recently," Belphegor said. "Lady Cerberus, we are here because—"

"You need something."

Azazel took that as cue. "The time has come for rebellion, and for you to make yourself useful for once."

"Excuse us, you would never have found a certain key if it wasn't for our effort!" the puppet on her hand said.

Dante stood up. "Can we first get the doctor thing out of the way?"

He pointed at Tipa, who had curled up on the couch with her arms over her stomach. Adva sat next to her, hands on her shoulder and worry in her eyes.

"She had the complications of a hybrid fetus. Probably a wing that grew into the womb wall when randomly manifesting," Belphegor said. "Our doctor is too busy to learn how to deal with."

"And even though neither you nor her work here, you want to use our doctor? That'll cost you," the dog on Nina's lap said.

On her cue, Nina produced a sack of money. "Here you go. Is this enough?"

This dog shifted into a handpuppet too, grabbed the money and _teleported_ right onto Cerberus's hand.

"Oh nice," Cerberus said. "You're paying me three times more than I'd have asked. You're very welcome."

"It's okay, I'm filthy rich," Nina said. "And maybe there will be more if you help us figure out some things."

"And what would that be?"

"We need intel on when the humans will raid heaven again, rather than leave the city for ordinary drills," Dante said. "I'm told you're an excellent tracker. Might you be able to get information from inside the palace?"

"Oh, I might, but let's say you win : this gold won't be useful to me anymore. There are a few others things you and Azazel could arrange for me. Bel, show your new friends the way to the doctor, will you?" Cerberus dropped herself on a couch and stretched out. "I'm willing to negotiate."

Kolraun and Adva helped Tipa stand, and Belphegor held open a door. Nina wondered whether she should follow, but nobody asked her to. She didn't know any of the magic stuff and political things Dante talked about with Cerberus either, so she wandered to the door to have another look at the restaurant. Or rather a smell, the food enticed her. The liquor not so much, and not the drunk people. Especially not the one at the center.

"Whhyyyy?" An awfully familiar voice roared out. "It's ss-oooo unfair!"

The source was from a corner table, seating a rough, broad guy in his mid fifties or so a much younger guy with blond hair. They had a whole swarm of demon girls around them.

"I signed up to _hic_ become a glorious k _hic_ t and meet the _hic_ gorgeous Jeanne, and what do I geeeet? _hic_ I get nothing and Jeanne was _hic_ gone. I get a captain with weird _hicr_."

When he turned his head sideways, she was sure it was him.

"You!" Nina stormed into the restaurant and planted a foot on the back of the couch. "Why did you try to burn me?"

The guy turned around and said, "Hey, I haven't seen you _hic_ before!"

"I was just having a look from the tower and you sic all those wyverns on me? What for?"

"Well, that'sssss what we _hic_ do to bad demonsssss," he slurred.

The other, less drunk guy stood up now, reaching for his sword.

Nina held up her wrist with the (fake) bounty hunter bracelet. "I happened to be a bounty hunter on the look out for my prey."

The big guy relaxed, but the blond guy blanched. "I attacked a human? That's bad — very bad _hic."_

He climbed over the back of the bench and grabbed her hands. "You're not gonna tellll right? I really can't _hic_ use that right now."

She pushed him back and he toppled over the back of the couch, two of the women caught him before he fell off. "You shouldn't be firing at anyone like that whether or not they're demons! I wasn't even armed!"

"Miss, you shouldn't have been hunting the rag demon," the other guy said. "There isn't ..."

His eyes shifted to behind her and widened in fear.

Azazel had walked up. Though he wore his hat and more formal cloak, the horns and unnatural whiteness of his skin would tell anyone he was a demon.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"It's the guy who said he'd get me, and then he blew up the tower," Nina said. "I'm trying to get him to apologize but he's doing it all wrong."

Without a word, Azazel grabbed the man by the neck and hauled him over the back of the couch. He dragged him out the alley door, ignoring the sputtering. The demon women turned quiet and didn't move, except for the nagini, who curled her tail around the other guy to keep him in place.

"Hey, what ..." Nina ran after him.

Outside, Azazel had the man up against the wall, a black serpent wrapped around his mouth and throat and a common blade in his hand.

"Wait! What are you doing?"

"Obviously, he's about to meet the rag demon," Azazel said.

No, not gonna happened. Nina launched herself at his arm, forcing the blade from the man's throat.

She might have a benefit for lifting things, he had more mass and height. All he had to do was lift his arm and she lost her footing. A wing shot out and she stumbled back before she could even consider picking him up.

"Just stop! You didn't kill any of them when you saved me, so why now?"

"I thought you were a human. They tend to not be fireproof and I have no shields," he said.

In his distraction, the man had pried off the dispersing black serpent.

"You _aren't_ a demon, are you?" the man sputtered at Nina. "Don't let him kill me, please, I don't want to die!"

"The funny thing about that is, she was an enemy until you drove her to us." Azazel flicked the blade at his throat

"Azazel, stop! I just want him to apologize."

Something malicious flickered in Azazel's eyes. "And let him walk, so he can burn more defenseless 'suspects'?"

He tossed the blade before Nina's feet. "Kill him and his stupid captain can replace him without someone less murderous."

She ignored the blade. "Why not ask Kaisar to do something about it?"

Azazel scowled. "He did nothing for five years. Do you think he's going to do anything against his precious fellows now?"

"Well, this isn't fair either, to just kill him like this."

"Fair? There is nothing fair in this kingdom," Azazel spat. "Learn that."

"There's never really been with us demons either," Cerberus said somewhere behind them. "But what they do have here is customer service and status. Precious little Allesand there is from the Visponti family. If he dies in the red light district, where everyone knows he's a regular at my place, that'll be very bad business."

"There won't be _any_ business here soon," Azazel said.

"Maybe, but until then we have to survive, don't we? So why don't you just let me deal with Allesand, hmm?"

To that, he relented, throwing the sobbing man to her feet.

"Aww, did the big demon scar you?" Cerberus patted his head. "Don't worry. Play nice and nothing will happen."

"I will _hic_ I wiilllll."

"Don't come inside again, got it?" Cerberus said to Azazel. "We already got enough trouble keeping the big dog restrained."

She whispered some spell and Allesand passed out, after which she swung him over her shoulder. Ignoring the back door, she walked out the alley while loudly saying, "Can't believe your sorry ass got mugged so easily!"

That left just her and Azazel in the dark alley.

"You killed countless knights when you turned into a dragon, what's the problem now?" he asked.

"That was defensive! Also ... I don't remember that. It's different to kill as a dragon than like this." She couldn't look him in the eye. Part shame, part that unwanted unease crawling back up. "I get it, and I get why you kill the slavers and the rich people in the mansions, but this guy was so ... so pathetic. And I'm here now, so you don't need to kill people anymore to keep them from hurting others. It'll be over soon, we could just lock him up. That's what she's going to do, right?"

"Tch."

When she looked up, Azazel vanished into the dark of the alley.

Nina startled when a heavy hand descended on her shoulder.

"Right, what just went down here?" Dante asked.

"Azazel wanted to kill that guy," she said. "I don't think that's right, even if he tried to kill me. He wasn't dangerous in a way we couldn't stop. Say, what's Cerberus going to do to him?"

"Probably something smarter than Azazel. She got by pretty well here, considering the circumstances."

She couldn't muster a smile.

"It'll be okay, Nina. We won't let him go too far," Dante said.

Could he make that true, though?

 **· · · · · · ·**

When Azazel walked up the sand road to the riverside, someone followed him. The pace familiar enough, but he didn't slow down for him.

Dante caught up a mere hundred meters before the carriage. "Azazel, we have to talk."

"Not now."

The door opened, Mugaro already knew he was coming. Somehow.

To his surprise, Mugaro ignored caution and ran up to him. In her hands was a paper, which she held out to Azazel.

 _Wanted, dead or alive : Charioce XVII._

Somehow they had gotten that machine working. It'd do no good since Bacchus could only give bounty hunter bracelets to humans, but the gesture was well meant.

"Thank you," he said.

Mugaro pointed Dante and curiously tilted her head. Oh, right.

"That's Dante, he works with me," Azazel said.

"Yeah, mostly," Dante said. "And you are?"

"She can't talk," Azazel said. "Her name is Mugaro."

"And you know this. Okay. Why do you have a mute kid staring up at you in adoration?"

"Think whatever you like, as long as you keep this a secret. The last I need is anyone of hostile factions getting the idea I have a weak spot. Understood?"

"Understood," Dante said. "Who's going to believe me that you adopted a kid anyway?"

"Mugaro, go back to the carriage, I'll meet you there."

She looked a little disappointed, but obeyed. Once the door was closed, Dante said, "The more Eligos says, the more it's clear we're going to have a full out war on our hands once Charioce is dead. We don't have enough people to hold this city. I've decided that we're going to flee."

"Why? Once Charioce is dead, the city will be ours!"

"And surrounded by provinces with their own armies eager to fill the power vacuum. Even if you bring in Lucifer and his armies, we'll be sitting ducks for a kingdom full of Dromos's power."

"And keep running? They won't think twice about killing us! If we keep the seat of power, we can work from there to free everyone else!"

"That's a wasted chance when we could be opening portals. I know what that's going to be : a bloodbath. Tell me, did you think twice about killing _us_?"

"What do you mean?"

"I used to _be_ a human," Dante said. "I know what they're like, and I promise you Nina isn't the only one who's afraid you'll go too far."

That caught Azazel off guard. The rumors had been there, it was more that Dante so readily admitted it. Not knowing what to do with that, he just stared.

Out of one of his coats, Dante produced a bundle of papers, secured between leather folds.

"I won't be part of a full out slaughter of humans here, and I'm not alone in this. Kill our enemy, kill soldiers, anyone who signed of for battle, but it ends there. Got it?"

He didn't say yes, but he didn't say no either. Dante was just going to have to be disatisfied.

"In case we run, I want to store these inside the carriage." He held a stack of papers. "They don't want you to read these cause they're afraid. But I think you should, if the reason they're afraid no longer is true."

Azazel grabbed the bundle without another word and went to the carriage, slamming the door behind him. Dante took the cue and left.

Belphegor had as good as said that she wanted to emigrate, Dante was still attached to his irrelevant legacy and Azazel was pretty sure these letters didn't have much praises to demon pride. He put them in the closet without another glance and tried to focus on what Mugaro showed him — where had they gotten one of those gems? — but the thought remained nagging. Too much thoughts did that lately. He diverted himself by trying to explain Mugaro a little of what he knew of genders and heaven, only for the conversation to get taken over by the other kids, and what they knew of hell. From their parents. It again contained things Azazel didn't know.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina sat with Chris on what was now their meeting bench. The morning was beautiful, they had ducks to feed, the company was excellent and she could smile. She was used to an answer presenting itself to her worries over time. Not now. Perhaps because for the first time, the answer depended on her. She didn't know how to word any of that, however, so it came out in a specific complaint.

"He's such a nuisance to work with! Okay, more than a nuisance. Sometimes he won't say a word for hours and then he'll just tell me to do something not okay!"

She couldn't go into details like that pyromaniac knight or the captive housekeeper without giving anything away to Chris. There were no humans in the rebellion, even though people like Chris existed. That didn't feel right. What if Bacchus had been right after all, what if he and Hamsa only joined the rebels cause he was desperate to stop his fellow gods from being killed? No way a bounty can be a good guy, he'd said. Azazel's current bounty might not even cover everything he'd done.

"If it concerns you so much, why bother keeping him in your life at all?"

That didn't do much. She'd hoped Chris would have advice, but it was probably all too vague to really say anything about.

Chris put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Nina tensed up, fearing the dragon, but her pulse remained steady enough. It was alright, she wouldn't change, it was safe.

"Don't fret too much," Chris said. "Isn't that your strength?"

It was, right? It should be, but more than ever before it felt like she had no real strengths. Between her waning trigger and the growing realization just how little time the mission had, and worst yet the question whether the mission was right — what would happen to Chris and everyone else, once the demons overthrew the king?

Maybe he'd flee along with his family. She wanted him near, but part of her hoped he would go. What if any of his family had done anything bad to a demon, ever? Would Azazel kill them for that? Kill him, too?

"Can I ask you something heavy?"

"What would that be?"

"What do you think about killing people for justice? You know, just if that saves lives."

"The primary attribute of justice is to make the criminals pay," Chris said. "Of course, there is no universal law. We must create our justice in the best interest of ourselves and our people, not just to survive but to thrive. So that would depend on what your own kind of justice is."

That only made it more confusing. "I don't think I have much of that."

"Maybe you won't need it. What you need is your brightness," he said, pulling out the pulse again. He might as well have said he needed _her_ , and unlike certain jerks, it didn't sound like an accident.

"Don't worry, it's not going anywhere!" She had a lot of practice keeping it in place, after all.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita sure did like having superpowered people working for her. Today she had a fallen angel, a hellhound trifecta, a half dragon, and soggy papers, versus the castle of the king.

Built from muted browns, the castle had been rebuilt with little semblance to the old regal palace. The central sturcture was a thick tower with a dome, flanked by rounded, shielding buildings. A bit like book stands in a massive scale, as far as Rita was concerned. Before it lay domed mansions with gray roofs, surrounded by a gate with watch tower. This in turned had another wall around it, followed by a third defensive wall. And just for some overkill, there was a fourth, much taller wall full of arches. Three layers atop the other for stationing the wyverns and their riders, also serving for immediate anti air attacks.

In short, there was no getting close to the castle right up until Cerberus entered. It wasn't perfect, quite disappointing actually, no hell maw? Cerberus's dogs might be able to teleport, small fluffy dogs tended to inspire people to pick them up and wonder where the owner was. There were limits to using them to spy on a castle with wide, clean rooms. For long runs anyway.

Now, wouldn't it be convenient to just get some people outside the castle to talk, with inside knowledge? Rita didn't need the black bible for anything corpse related, but the spells of life simulation, memory imprints and illusion? Too ethereal for her talents, but oh so useful for information.

Everyone in the guild knew people died easily in the castle for infractions as small as accidentally cutting the king while shaving him. It had its own morgue, which was of interest to her.

The mutts got her two disembodied heads from dead servants. Azazel summoned two skeletal warriors, nabbed their heads off and helped Rita attached the heads onto the bodies, at which point Rita channeled her power through the head of her umbrella. Two glowy red eyes later, the heads rotted and gaped for air they didn't need.

Rita began the chant under her breath.

One's typical 101 zombie couldn't even reason, but the illusory spell of the black bible was able to impose visuals, sound and behavior as illusions within those who inhaled the mists of time. Rita didn't quite know how it worked, but it summoned accurate behavior and information from the past. As long as one was near the location being invoked for the living imprint, that could preserve some of the cognitive information.

The air shimmered as fog escaped the book. Demons and gods were immune and Rita herself had lost all touch with it upon death — and had no interest to tamper with her own mind — so they had prepped Nina to observe for them. "And? Visuals?"

"You know when you put something close to one eye and you see things simultaneously? It's a little like that, I see both. A bit more of the illusion's there though," Nina said.

"Good. You two, what have you heard of preparations for a siege anytime soon?" Rita asked the zombies. "Not a training drill, that's very important. We need a time of combat."

They appeared to do little more than stammer and groan,their arms swaying.

"They're happy to meet new faces," Nina said. "The lady wants to know where her tea pot went. The other one wants to know how we got in."

"You'll get it later," she said to the female head. "And we didn't get in, you're in our house."

Something shifted in the mists, adjusting to Rita's will. How annoyed she couldn't see.

"That lady says she's just a cleaner, but thinks they're doing something around July 20 something cause there's triumphant return expected later in the month. Preparations usually take a week. There's talk of defeating a demon plague to the north, according to the guard guy."

"Hmmm, so soon," Cerberus said. "Weird, there's lately been months between the raids. I keep track of it, it affects customer timing."

"He's getting anxious because of the red dragon," Azazel said. "For good reason."

"Anyway, let's wrap this up before any guards come," Rita said. She closed the book and Azazel beat his wings a few times to dispell the mist.

Nina stared at the makeshift zombies, particularly the borrowed bodies covered in armor. "Hey Azazel, those skeletons, are they people you killed?"

"I don't waste my time raising corpses, I can fight on my own. Lucifer just has them at hand as low level guards or servants. I grabbed the summon code when I was in Cocytus the other day."

"I don't know why you bothered. Honestly, they suck," Rita said. "I could defeat them with off game zombies."

"Lord Lucifer's creations don't need extra programming to keep them from wasting time on food," Azazel said.

"Neither will mine simply by casting a 102 spell. I'd like to see your Lucifer to raise undead armies as easily as I can. Really. Where _is_ he anyway?"

Azazel kept quit, but Nina said, "Still reading. I don't get that guy, can't he at least send some other people to help?"

"Oh, _I'm_ here, keeping an eye on things. Honestly, if Azazel hadn't stormed out he'd have known that."

"He does neglect a lot, doesn't he?" Nina said.

Rita doubted the loyalties of the dog of Hades when she could have easily tracked him, but it didn't concern her enough. Now she had the black bible and a wider range, she had a chance to master illusions. It made things safer for herself, and those few she cared to protect. Especially since no matter what happened, things shaped up so she would have to step in. Nina hadn't been blushing around Azazel for a while now.

 **· · · · · · ·**

On the 26th of July, Cerberus reported that Charioce had left the capital with an army. It would be just a day or two before the expected return of the raid, so Dante wanted to run a few more experiments. Rita was already full at swing with developing an illusion spell that could temporarily affect demons, preferably enemy demons since the Orleans Knights had a demon faction. They'd be freed eventually, but shouldn't raise the alarm as the zombies got into position.

At night, Bacchus and Hamsa brought the carriage down into the tunnels along with a final batch of food. By now Azazel got just a tad curious about Nina's money source, but there were bigger concerns : the gods hadn't cleared the children out of the carriage, so all six of them poured into the hall.

The kids raised some surprise, but nobody connected them to Azazel specifically, and it better stay that way. Last thing he needed for next year for someone to target Mugaro for being connected to him. He made a point of not responding to them, and Mugaro didn't initiate contact — he'd once primed her to pretend to not know him if he were to get in trouble while she could pass for human.

When Bacchus started experimenting the kids moved to the side.

The carriage blew up so much it nearly hit the ceiling, and the hippogryph had to squeeze between the wall and the front.

"Too much," Dante said. "It'll stand out like a sore thumb even if it goes low to the ground. Try about half their length."

"Bacchus, let me see that spell up close," Rita said.

Once again, Azazel was left on the sidelines and he hated it more than ever. Very soon they would put an end to Charioce and still, yet he was little more than an addition here. Nishaol didn't even include him in her formations. His role was designated to be near Nina and clear the way, get rid of as much non-Dromos enemies as possible.

Nina went around the edges of the hall, handing out better food than usual.

"It's special things from the upper ring," she said when asked.

"I thought you had to be careful with going around the city now?" Kolraun asked.

"It's okay, I got a new friend, he looks after me." She reached Azazel. "Hey, I got your favorite! You better say thanks this time. Some time."

Nina pushed a cheese sandwich stuffed in his hands, before continued to hand out more to others whose preference she also had learned. Where did she find the energy to know everyone, yet not figure it shamed him to stand here with everyone now aware he liked brie on bread. With salad. Worst part was she was correct.

"You're eating that like you're trying to get it over with as fast as possible," Dante said. "Just don't take the damn human food if you don't want to."

"Mind your own business," Azazel said while he snatched a bag Nina had no doubt set aside for herself.

She was far off, but heard it and spun around. "Hey, that's mine! Put it down."

"Well, I _am_ a demon." He took a bite and chewed slowly this time.

Nina jumped at him, but he teleported a few meters away. It was enough to amuse him and get back a little for the embarassment.

Also enough to _distract_ him. Between bites, bursts of purple haze and a mix of wall and Nina being a very poor cat, he heard Cerberus say, "Something's wrong with this one."

Three stomps on the floor; Mugaro's signal for help. He stopped the game at once.

Cerberus circled Mugaro, her puppets having jumped off her hands into their full form : two legged dogs whose white fur hung loose over their skeletons. They had Mugaro cornered from both sides while Cerberus leaned in.

"You're right, this smells like angel," Coco growled.

"No, more like human," Mimi snarled.

"Now now, darlings, it's obviously both," Cerberus said. "Maybe we should just try a nick of blood—"

Azazel let go every single serpent he could conjure up, throwing the hellhounds into the walls. They yelped on impact and Cerberus opened fire at Azazel. Two blasts hit his shoulder, but he didn't budge. Mugaro ran to him, which only riled Azazel up further and he fired a flare of serpents at her— if Cerberus landed anything on her ...

Cerberus's next shot hit the ceiling instead, because Nina had wrangled her arm up. Cerberus turned on her, but found herself unable to wrestle out of Nina's grip.

"I don't care what all that magical stuff is about, you leave Mugaro alone! Why does it even matter what kind of hybrid she is?"

Cerberus leaned in to her. "It matters because last time, the god key was stolen by a chimera of divine and demonic soul. We failed to retrieve the key for lord Lucifer, and guess what happened? _Bahamut_."

Nina frowned. The hall fell silent.

Azazel kept the serpents out around Mugaro, eyes locked on Cerberus still.

Tension broken when the dogs whined trying to get on their legs.

"Let me go," Cerberus said to Nina, who obliged but kept an eye on her.

Cerberus turned the dogs back into their smaller shapes and hugged them close.

"What's wrong with you, Azazel?" Eligos asked. "You can't just go attack allies right when—"

"Shut up. Mugaro is a demon and the only reason she smells like that is because she's been living in that damn carriage, and Cerberus knows it. Tell _her_ that this isn't the time to play."

Cerberus fixing her eyes on the gods instead. "Have humans been living there too, hmm?"

Neither of them moved to deny or confirm. What?

Dante stepped in their middle. "Look, I don't want this to escalate. Azazel, how long has Mugaro been with you?"

"Two years. She isn't a spy, she isn't anything unusual."

"Is too!" Mimi yelped.

"Yes, my dear, I think there is something more to it. What would lord Lucifer think, if he knew about this, Azazel?"

"It is none of your business!" Azazel snapped.

"It is if our more or less lord of hell benefits from it. Where did you find that child?" Cerberus said.

"She was with demon slavers, like many others."

"Yes!" One of Mugaro's friends said. "We were there. She was the weakest of us, she's nothing special."

Cerberus tilted her head. "You're lying."

The kids kept a stubborn silence.

"Why don't we ask Lucifer what might be up? Or perhaps Azazel already knows? It's so strange that of all children you free, this one just happens to get attached to you."

Belphegor stood up. "Lord Azazel, when the Onyx Knights caught you, who saved you? Did you ever find out?"

"Huh? You know something?" Eligos asked her.

"That child was the one who led me to him," Belphegor said.

"Right," Dante said. "This is all suspicious, but let's not act rash here. This child is no threat to us, right?"

"Actually, _when_ did he save Azazel?" Eligos said, settling a look on Bacchus and Hamsa. "Because I believe lately we've had gods snooping around the city, haven't we?"

Dante stood up, placing himself at the center. "I'm pretty sure we can hold off on investigating this until after Charioce is dead. Cerberus, that means you back off too. The second to last thing we need is for Azazel to walk out because we're endangering his kid."

"His kid? Really? What's wrong with you, Azazel? You used to be up for gutting angels," Cerberus said. "To imagine you would ever get more boring than Pazuzu. Pfffft."

Mugaro took a step away from Azazel. She had never looked at him like that, with a mixture of disbelief and maybe even fear.

Then she did something she'd never done before : she ran _away_.

Without thinking, wings out he went after her.

"Azazel, wait!" Nina called.

He ignored her, but when she grabbed his ankle with her whip he couldn't go on.

Nina had braced herself against a rock and didn't look ready to let go. "Azazel, what was that all about?"

He tore the whip off his ankle, but she was close enough now she could grab his wing before he could fly off. "What did they mean with gutting angels? How do you know Pazuzu?"

Almost like begging, if it didn't sound so angry, but he had to go after Mugaro _now_. He manifested a black serpent, wrapped it around her waist and set her back twenty meters.

"Azazel, tell me! What will happen to the people of this city if you win?"

"Will you shut up already?You'll alert the night guard!"

He flew into the tunnels Following distant steps, out the caves.

Mugaro ran so fast, the way only possible when one could alleviate their weight. He was fast enough to keep up with his wings out, and it didn't matter if he was seen. This couldn't be left hanging.

At the same time, he didn't know what to do. Just scoop up Mugaro and risk scaring her further?

Mugaro went up into the city, through the streets, but not so far from the slums and soon slowing. Between the houses was a small church, one of the few left. Mugaro stopped outside before a statue.

Azazel would've ignored it if Mugaro hadn't fixed on it. It was ... his defeat at the spear of Jeanne'd Arc.

Mugaro's gaze shifted to Azazel when he landed. She didn't seem angry, more uncertain. No signals or signs.

"Mugaro ... are you a demon?" he asked softly.

Mugaro shook her head. She looked around for something, but didn't find it. So she pointed at the statue instead, at the demon that was him and then the human woman.

"Yes, that was me."

That startled her all over again, for some reason.

Azazel knelt down and drew his wings back. "Mugaro, I won't ... "

 _Hurt you_. Unbidden, memory of Amira pushed to the forefront of his mind. Strapped her on the torture wheel, brought her to the point of drowning, let Pazuzu loose on her while Cerberus's dogs begged for a chance for something more diverse than dunking and chain whips. He'd considered giving them that chance. The image of the frail woman mingled with Mugaro, and his gut revolted. Even picturing Mugaro in the same position made his blood boil and ready to rip to shreds anyone who did it, but freeze at the same time with the knowledge he himself would've done it if ten years ago, he had been sent to retrieve this hybrid rather than Amira.

She might think the worst he'd done was invade Anatae and kill angels, perhaps only during warfare. She didn't know he could be worse. No words came to mind to offer her.

Mugaro pointed at Jeanne again while giving him a harsh look. Then at herself.

What did she mean? Something about her connection to the gods?

When he took a step closer to either offer she write letters on his arm or go somewhere they could write, Mugaro stepped back. Once, then another step.

 _That_ he understood well enough. Small things meant a lot with Mugaro.

He took off without looking back.

She had always managed to find him, to the point of showing up in the abandoned monastery. He hadn't intended to take her in, but once she had found his home, it had become harder by the day to send her away. If she wanted to be around, she'd show up herself. She always done so in the past. For the first time, he felt anxious whether she would want to, but he'd wait.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina met Chris the next day with the whispers of the underground loud in her mind. More than just intimidation at the power of their leaders, they feared any plans Lucifer might have. Some trusted him, some doubted it, and a few said that these things were exactly why humans had come to have demons so. The woman they kept prisoner still was afraid and hadn't stopped coughing. Politics based on only power were not for the good of the weak, even Dante said that.

"I believe this is the first time you've arrived without smiling," Chris said. "Did something go wrong with your friends?"

She hesitated before sitting next to him on the bench. The park's atmosphere was lovely as always, and so was he, she didn't want to ruin this moment. But she couldn't pretend all was okay today. She sat down.

"I don't know whether they're my friends."

"Are they demons?"

Nina's head jerked up. "How, I mean why do you think that?"

"It's obvious. Your curiosity about demons, the way you avoid mentioning names."

"You don't mention names either, so I thought that was just a thing we did."

"Fair enough."

"I don't really know anything about your life either, you know. Neither of us know much about demons, I think. It's just, I want them to be okay, but I also want a lot of other folks to be okay, but I'm not sure whether they want the same."

"They are demons still. We have centuries of proof for what kind of beings they are."

A lot of the demons had never left hell, so that didn't mean much. But those that had were their leaders, including Azazel.

"What if I'm making a mistake?"

He stayed silent for a long before saying, "Then don't go to them anymore until you are certain of what your true goal is."

"What do you mean?"

"Try to describe, just to yourself, what your goal is."

She wanted to free the demons from suffering. It wasn't difficult.

"Now ask yourself what for, and what it will do for the future."

She had asked that question out of desperation, but only now did the weight truly set down on her. It was _her_ responsibility what happened to this kingdom. The demons didn't deserve this, so many of them were innocent, but that was true for the humans too.

If only she could control her dragon form, maybe she could do more when she transformed. She wouldn't have to rely on Azazel either. Everyone said she was the key for the rebellion's success, yet she had so little control over it. And she _needed_ that control, because she wasn't going to stand for Azazel gutting anyone innocent.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Dante's little group of conference had grown a bit. Beyond Eligos and Belphegor, it now contained Rita, Bacchus and Nishaol, as well as Cerberus, Coco, Mimi and Hamsa. The latter group had little useful to contribute, but were hard to shake.

It wasn't a close group, especially now the demon side suspected Bacchus was in on some secret with the gods about Mugaro. That worsened once Eligos started suspecting they also knew what Nina's transformation spell was, given they'd let a few indirect things slip. Particularly that Azazel had to be around. Maybe he needed to provide some kind of circle, but why were they so awkward about it? And insistent everyone be out of the carriage before Nina transformed?

She hadn't thought much of it, but after seeing that strange child's response to learning something unsavory about Azazel, she had seconds thoughts. The gods, Azazel, who else had an agenda she didn't know about. She didn't think her doubt could get worse, until Azazel marched into the plotting chamber and threw five stone slabs onto the table.

"Wake them up," he told Bachus.

Bacchus's eyes widened. "How did you get these?"

"You know where," Azazel said. "Wake them and we will have cannon fodder. All of them had a pact with me and have yet to pay. They'll do quite fine for the front lines.'

Bacchus picked up one of the slabs. "You sure about this?"

"I promise you, they deserve to die. If they disobey me, I'll do it myself."

 **· · · · · · ·**


	8. Hamartia

**· · · · · · ·**

El sat on the bench of the small church, kicking her foot against the bench in front of her. Morning light came through the stained glass, urging her to get read for going out, they had a job to do, but there was nowhere to go today.

She didn't _want_ to doubt what she could sense about people, but this wasn't even the first time. A lot of the people in that mob the other day hadn't felt like they'd be a threat normally _either_. And then Azazel just said he had been one of her mother's enemies. That wasn't even the question she'd wanted to convey.

Her mother had told her someone would come and extend a helping hand, she was to trust whoever this wand and follow them. What if she'd done it wrong?

Someone entered behind her, but didn't feel like a threat.

"Oh, we have visitors?" The voice was elderly and matched the kindness the human radiated. She couldn't help but be weary.

"Child, why are you not home?"

El didn't think anything bad would happen if she went back, at least not intentionally. Azazel had never been malicious toward her, but if he only kept her around to deliver to someone else, she might not notice.

"Have you been here all night?" The old man sat next to her. "You should have said something when I closed the doors, or did you not hear?"

El gestured at her throat and shook her head with a sad smile.

"Oh, I see. Well, that'll make it more difficult for you to tell your story, but perhaps you'd like breakfast? We haven't had any poor over the street for years with how well things for under Charioce ... for humans anyway."

El took the offer, following the man into his small home aside of the church. It was nice food and friendly company, but that did little to alleviate her worries.

The pastor offered pencil and paper, but she didn't touch it. There was no way to start.

By the end of breakfast there was the softest thud on the roof, and in the corner of one of the windows something black slittered. A black snake with glowing eyes.

 _Azazel was here_.

El got up and ran outside, but by then the roof was empty.

It was early morning and the city already thrived, but noise had damped by an odd mist creeping through the streets.

The pastor followed her outside, looking at her with unveiled confusion, then noticed the mist. "Oh dear. That is demon's work. You better stay a little longer."

El didn't know much of whatever Azazel and his friends were planning, but Rita had said something of armies.

Azazel had never made a secret of wanting to kill Charioce, if that happened El might have a better chance at saving her mother.

Soon Charioce would die and then maybe El could find her mother — she had some sense of where she was, but no way of getting there. The island was drenched with more of that horrible green power than El could handle in one burst.

The eerie thought prickled that if Azazel ruled the city he might maybe not want to help her mother. But just as unpleasant was the idea he might not survive today. She couldn't just figure this out, but if something went wrong today, she never might.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The underground buzzed with bottled noise and tension that tried not to spill over — neither as echoes nor feet running out of the tunnels. Unusually, Dante was among the loudest.

"He didn't put those freaks on the table until after you scared that kid off, and now we to worm strangers into the pattern because Azazel won't back off!"

"Will you quit going on about that already?" Cerberus said. "I was just being cautious. Gods don't go round turning people into demigods. Saints at most, and _that was not a saint_. It was fishy."

As far as Nina was concerned, Cerberus herself was fishy too. Like, what had she done done with that blond guy, let alone why she had once thought Azazel wasn't her kind of boring.

Bacchus and Hamsa had taken their carriage and were somewhere half populated, a sign they didn't want to be questioned. Whatever they knew, they didn't want to tell Nina.

Azazel would summon a squad of skeletal warriors. Maybe he hadn't killed them, but his boss Lucifer might have. Maybe if he valued books so much more than his people, he wasn't that good either.

Belphegor had several bombs now. The sick housekeeper lady was locked up in a room now the rebellion headed out.

Her own goals, eh? Dragon aside, her work here was reeling in people who didn't care for the liberation goal. Bartering was her part. Get the gods on board, get Rita on board, get Cerberus on board. So much of the important people wanted to be paid to help.

Others weren't paid at all. apparently. After some questioning, Nishaol pointed her to the room Azazel had his 'freaks', intending to try questioning again.

It was another ordinary room, but less ordinary were the people in it. She wouldn't call them breaks, they looked rather ... sad, or frustrated, or manic.

Four more sat around a table, eating like they hadn't had anything in years. Literary, since Nina recognized the faces from the tablets Azazel had taken from the vault. All of them had a certain flair to them that hadn't come across on rock reliefs. A sense of personality and uniqueness. Oh. Azazel had chosen them for that spark, hadn't he? That wall had been _his_ wall of criminals.

A woman sat lifeless in the corner, clutching a blanket and staring in utter fascination at a marble in her hands. The sounds coming from her mouth were the most unusual, endless loud humming and chanting.

A man had curled up in a ball in the corner. He clutched his ears with his hands, muttering about everything being worse than nothings. The way he pulled at his ears drew blood.

Nina dropped to a knee and pried his hands loose. "Don't, you'll hurt yourself."

"Leave me alone, bitch." He shoved her away.

Rude. Nina stood up and almost walked into Azazel as he entered.

"Don't mind them," Azazel said. "They're not demons nor allies, they're just here to fill their part of their pact."

"I don't know how much we'll be owing you when hell is this weak," said a bearded man who pulled off the pirate look better than Dante.

"When hell is strong again, you'll eat those words," Azazel said.

"Better taste like more than these potatoes," the man muttered.

"What did you come here for?" Azazel asked Nina.

"Is ... is Mugaro okay?"

"She's fine," he said. "Get lost."

Oh, right. Was supposed to keep Mugaro out of things. She'd thought this was a moot point now Bacchus had accidentally brought them here, but perhaps it was different with these people. Nina couldn't get it over her heart to ask about the city again.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Now Chabrol had deciphered the tablets, raids on heaven were not really needed anymore. They could mass produce their own gemstones and spread them across the continent, and he had recently begun manufacturing skyships to remedy the sustenance problems with the floating beasts. If he died, the nations of humankind would be well tended to.

Really, today was just a little test run. This divine sanctuary was one of the last remaining and more poorly defended than others. The gods had either given up or were running out of heads to send.

It was pretty routine by now. Ram the ship, walk in, slaughter gods. As long as he was here anyway, needless as it had become, he might as well personally kill them. As befit to a leader.

Today he had broken that habit out of precaution. He was curious enough to see what these dragons could do, but didn't trust them enough to be near them in a chaotic scenario. Curious specifically at the hybrid. Would there be a decay in power due to this blood? How did it compare to the dragon allied with Azazel?

The older, gray dragon was more experienced with carnage and the other one likewise a more competent combatant. Lao underperformed compared to them, but only due to lack of experience and age. Compared to N—the red dragon, he was superior. More balanced body shape meant more speed and he was an adult compared to her.

None of them would last against a proper divine force, but that didn't matter. He just needed them to handle one frail little dragon an unfortunate immunity, then he could focus on the rag demon.

The raid done and cleaned up, gems salvaged, he called for Lao to visit him in the control room. The one who had the slight shake and unnerved eyes of a fresh killer, uncertain yet.

He gestured for him to stand behind his throne, as they looked over the passing clouds of the way home.

"Is this the first time you have killed?" he asked.

"No, your majesty, but it's the first time I slaughtered," he said. "I intend to get used to it."

"Oh? And why would that be?"

"Once, the answer was fear for the demons of hell finding us," he said. "The people of my tribe have long since detached ourselves from the vile heritage of hell. We want it to stay that way, but hell might like it."

"You want to opt into the human tribe?"

"I dare say we already have," he said with a hint of pride. "Aside of the very oldest, all members of our tribe look entirely human yet with all the benefits of dragon blood. Including longevity."

"Hmm. Is there something amiss with your reproduction, that you have remained but a small tribe across the thousands of years?"

That got a pointed silence. "On a purely technical level, there are some magical conditions that had to be met for generations to end up as they did. However, that is not what you are truly asking about, are you?"

"I wonder why, if your people are advancing, you have not expanded your dominance."

"People have an unfortunate tendency to hunt down dragons, and the demons and gods do not enjoy competition. And have you not recently made short work of either? My people fear to be known, while they are small in number."

"Yet you stand here."

Lao gave a wry smile. "I would not be, if that degenerate had not mingled with demons. It was only a matter of time before you learned we exist."

"You known this one?"

"To humans it would be known as the scourge of the eastern mountains. Have you heard of it, during your purge of the lands?"

"Not personally. I have sent my knights to take down many monsters, I have not kept track of each."

"The scourge was our little degenerate, ravaging the lands for flesh," he said. "We had it under control, but it got away recently. I've come to deal with it before it brings doom to our future."

Charioce had his suspicions about a certain girl, not so long in the capital city, from a mysterious town in the east. All that strength that appealed to him — she had seemed like such an exceptional human — might come from a failed attempt of a demon to ascend to humankind.

He did not want his suspicions to be true. That was a first. Normally being correct was a matter of pride, he should not not want it.

"If I may impose, we are not the only ones in hiding. I overheard your men speak of stripping demon skulls in the cargo bay. You intend to play this raid off as conquest on demons, is it not so? Why hide your triumphes over heaven from mere commoners?"

"You must have no church where you life, let alone the plague of faith."

"We honor the fay, but no, I suppose there is something behind those buildings that elludes me."

"Faith is control in the way praise for a king is control, but more wasted. It may yet be several generations before Mistarcia's population is truly weened from the floor of churches. My era is but one of transition to another era of virtuous dedication, not under the yoke of the gods. The destruction of idols is the harvest of every revolution, but to build upon nothing while scorching the earth is our greater destiny. One day, we will not be marked by stories of sin to god's laws, but by our own nobility."

"You sound like the heroes in our epochs, but your war is against the rosary and for the sword," Lao said. "Well, _I_ will outlive you to see the fruits of your labor, your majesty. I'll see whether your words are sound one day. That is a benefit to my demonic heritage I have no shame of."

"I never deemed that you should resent that," Charioce said. "We must forever strife to improve our bloodline and I will not deny longevity has its benefits. However, it is better to spend one's all to a specific goal to be achieved. Mere survival, no matter how long, is worth little if one achieves nothing."

"Milleniums leave room for a great deal of goals and many small ones stack up."

"Do they? What mark have you left on this world?"

A pointed silence before before he said, "I'm starting small, with our little degenerate. I'm sure you didn't start with glory either, your majesty."

Duty meant he had to agree on this start. Some filthy, irrational part still wouldn't let her off his mind.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Charioce's armies were stationed behind the castle just outside the outer wall, away from the coddle aristocracy on the inside. Practical kings would just land behind the castle and go about their day, but Charioce really liked his triumph parades. There was a dock carved in the hills beyond the lowest end of the city, with a wide road leading to the gates. This was usually guarded, only opened upon the return of the king. Said returns were never announced to the population ahead of time for security reasons. Probably. During the earliest years Charioce's raids on heaven had been less predictable, often resulting in delays in arrival, or worse, returning too early due to being warded off. Now the history books only mentioned a few awkward mishaps in foolish public servants with bad timing.

Said public servants scrambled this morning to clear the mane lane, and Rita was about to have a lot more scrambling around.

The chilly dawn lent Rita a perfect playground. She holed up in the abandoned monastery where Azazel and Mugaro lived — the latter still absent. Using on the book, she chanted and hummed a spell over the city that manifested as a thick fog.

Once thick enough to block view, Azazel's skeletal warriors went around to dig up graves. She could zombify and summon across the range of the entire city with ease, but the zombies would still have human limits. Waiting for them to dig themselves out without be forever. Save for guarded luxury graveyards, Rita would get material from every site. The fog would conceal disturbed graves to avoid the alarm being raised.

It had been a long time since she had played at mastery. She couldn't experience chills like when she had been alive enough, but it had the echo of a thrill. All this, her skills.

Leave it to Azazel to visit just when she was having a moment with the forces of arcane morbidity. "If you're going to be here, be useful and help dig," she said without looking up from her book.

"Do you still need to read that after two hundred years?" he said more than a little irritated, but the snakes did come out and work. "You're as bad as lord Lucifer."

"At least I'm here and working," she said.

"He will arrive once we defeated Charioce and take over the city, Cerberus will report it. Dante can flee all he wants, we will hold the throne. Anyway, three skybeasts arrived just now."

Ouch, that meant an unusually small raid. There would be a lot of knights and soldiers in the capital who weren't worn down by combat.

"Azazel, let's say we lose. Do you still trust me with Mugaro?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me where she is, in case you get yourself killed."

"Inside a church, ... that one with the statue of Jeanne d'Arc," he said. "I checked on her earlier, she didn't leave. For now."

"Good. So, _are_ you going to get yourself killed?"

"What, hoping to make me one of your zombies?"

Rita gave a dim smile. "I'm quite in a predicament if this fails, you see. The black bible's illusions should cover how I look, which gives me an advantage if things go wrong, but I might want a bodyguard."

"I was born an angel, it won't work."

"True, I can't enchant a sparkly shower, but _if_ there's a corpse, one never knows."

He looked at her with utter contempt.

"Take a joke," she lied. "You'd find a way to regain your mind and then where would I be?"

"Tch. Just get to work."

Rita pointed her umbrella at the city, radiating her silent command through the core at the handle. The zombies marched for the gate at the very end of the lowest districts, where the parade would enter.

Perhaps a bit of tack was alright today. "So, what should I say to initiate? _Let's play_ or _time to die_?"

He smirked. "Let's play death."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Paracelsus smelled funny. According to Azazel he was some kind of strategist who specialized in mecha, or automaton as he called them, but he was shifty and bit his nails without being very useful.

The docks outside the city were just big enough for a single ship, but all the best Onyx Knights were with the king so she wasn't going to get anywhere nearer than these shrubs. Paracelsus had been complaining about that since they got here; said she could teleport and he could not, she could just ditch him if the fire started. He wanted a better look so badly, she could imagine what made him jump at a pact with Azazel.

They were here to plant bomb and Paracelsus was supposed to figure out things about the mecha or sabotage the ship, anything really. Azazel had picked him for his expertise with mechanics, but he couldn't do that without taking any apart so now she had to drag this useless bag of meat around.

Mimi and Coco each had one of bombs Belphegor had made. They'd teleport the bombs after the Onyx Knights had checked the area, after which Belphegor would ignite them along with a few further down the road. Paracelsus was supposed to figure out how to take down the mecha more easily, but he

As Charioce boarded his chariot, a few green powered mecha stomped out to take position behind him.

"These things overthrew hell? No offense but there's got to be something really wrong with your defenses. Automatons that don't have the option to shoot any energy balls! Or did technology advance so much I can't recognize it?"

"It can't shoot, but its frame is powered by Dromos's magic, and that matters, okay?" Cerberus said.

Paracelsus laced his fingers and faced her with a most obnoxious smile. "Does it now?"

"Do you actually do anything useful other than jab about warfare?"

"Why yes, but it seems to me you need a little more talk on warfare." He took and juggled one of the bombs in his hands without a care. "Because it sure is something for demons to descend to such physical means. I suppose you lot finally accepted your nature?'

"Just shut up."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Charioce woke up to a most unusual message from his servant that morning : guests. In the middle of the sky. When nobody was supposed to know they were here.

He put his entire armor on before going to meet them.

Two humans, a handsome man in his thirties with long blond hair and old fashioned knightly attire, and a woman about the same age with thick green hair and a swirly ornate hat on an otherwise bland black dress. A line of twelve Onyx Knights surrounded them, but it was the regular sorcerers who had the front lines of protection. Their visitors looked human enough, but he wasn't so sure.

"Greeted, your majesty," the woman said. "We have a desire to defect to your side and warn you of the demon Azazel's rebellion."

The knightly type took a bow. "Athos. I've been informed that you are a king of the modern age," he said. "Not beholden to the church."

"I may have read of you in a history book. Either you are an impostor or not human."

"Well, I have some demonic nature due to a pact, but I lived long due to my divine arrest. The demon I pacted with is an utter moron," Athos said. "I took from him what I needed. I have no intent to stick with him. Not when you have such interesting power and a throne of my own birth blood."

"And you would be?" he asked the woman. "The stories of your suspected nature tend to vary."

"Merlin indeed, no more obliged to Azazel than Athos. He thinks he can control the way foolish fate once controlled me," she said. "I care not if he cuts my pact, I have yet my human magic. A reservoir vast enough to my satisfaction. I share his desire for a human king to serve, be it not for cause of blood."

He liked the sound of that, but he didn't like the circumstances.

"Detain them. I will see for myself what we can expect, later. Under circumstances that aren't a likely trap."

"There is a dragon coming," Merlin said. "One that is immune to your troops."

"I am aware and prepared," Charioce said. "For the fallen angel too."

Merlin crossed her arms. "For the strategist too?"

"We can handle anything they throw at us."

The woman sighed. "Athos, why don't we go? You take a little trip to the monastery, I will make myself useful elsewhere. This young man is too young still, let's see in an hour or so."

A nexus gate opened below them and they stepped out of the ship.

 **· · · · · · ·**

With all demonic activity concealed, Cerberus's mutts digging out part of a hill counted as something to be concealed, but to Azazel the cave stood out. Bacchus's carriage had grown a few sizes and now hosted the bulk of the rebel forces.

He stayed airborne and looked through one of the windows. "Rita is done. Get ready."

Azazel was about to fly off when Dante stepped up.

"Wait. Where's the other two of those humans you brought in?" Dante asked.

"Never mind them," Azazel said.

"What did you even pick these ones for? That Walfrid guy says he's a pirate, not a soldier. He wants ropes to swing on, what am I supposed to do with that? We didn't even get time to integrate him!"

"He'll figure out something, he always does."

"On ships!" Walfrid called from the inside. "I figure things out _on ships_! This is land and armies, Azazel!"

Dante pinched the bridge of his nose. "This better not backfire. We're trusting you with this whole rebellion here."

"It won't," he said.

He flew towards the forest.

The plantlife was low, offering little hiding space, so the Onyx Knights didn't scourge it was the same intensity as they would have a denser forest. Azazel had to jump through the cover of the canopy to reach his goal.

The core group stood with one of the few bushes tall enough to conceal a standing person, but they weren't behind it.

Belphegor, Nina, Trismegistus and Adva stood before it, and behind Kolraun. He faced a long branch pushed into the ground as she murmured a growth spell. Here too the fog recognized demonic activity and concealed it with an illusion. Kolraun's vegetation oriented magic probably put shrubs in place or something like that. To anyone familiar with the forest it'd just look the same; certainly none of the early march seemed to suspected anything.

Belphegor and Trismegistus spoke in hushed voices together, but stopped when Azazel appeared.

When the first soldiers passed by them about fifty meters away, he and Nina stepped behind the actual bushes.

Behind them, Adva's unfolded her wing and Trismegistus geared up her magic, ready to ignite the bombs. Azazel didn't really like the idea of defeating Charioce when he was weakened by having to breathe, but Dante wouldn't hear anything against it. Besides, he himself was relying on a hormonal hybrid girl, he could get used to slightly degrading victories.

Nina had her arms crossed, but he didn't miss a beat to close her arms around her.

Without missing a beat, he closed his arms around her.

And waited.

Long enough to be embarrassingly aware of himself being really close and oh-chaos-stop-it-this-was-not-the-time.

Time dragged on, by the way. Nothing happened.

He pushed her away and hugged her away. Nina grumbled a little and didn't glow.

Why wasn't it working?

"I guess I have no choice." It wasn't like he hadn't kissed people before, but this was unusually awkward. He took her chin in his claws.

"Uhm, Azazel ... "

He leaned in, but Nina drew back and hit him so hard, he fell past the rocks and smacked into the ground on his back.

All eyes fixed on him. Nina stepped out from behind the rocks, glaring at him.

"Why won't you transform?"

"I don't get excited about men who are jerks!"

"Excited about men ... what is going on?" Belphegor asked him. He scrambled to his feet and couldn't meet her eyes.

Nina deflated and after a tense silence, she said, "I ... I, uhm, can't control my transformation. At all. It only happens when I feel something really stirring, like the attention of an attractive guy. Lately it's needed more, like a hug ... but that isn't very exciting either _when they're being jerks_. And he just made it _worse_! You can't just take a kiss like that!"

"You just ... assaulted her, didn't you?" Kolraun muttered as he walked off. "I work for you."

Trismegistus grabbed the plant and tried to supplant her own magic, but the leaves fell off and the branches turn metallic.

Belphegor caught up to Kolraun and tried to guide him. "Kolraun, please, just a little longer."

"I'll say, the existence of emotional magic is out of the left field," Trismegistus said to Azazel, "But that you would botch feels quite natural. Lovely work, really."

"She agreed to turn into a dragon," Azazel said. "If hugs don't work anymore, I had to try the obvious."

"And I will, but I'm not turning for _you_ ," Nina said. " _You're_ not getting this city. I'll do it for the others. Does anyone have a knife?"

"A knife?" Belphegor asked.

"We live in tree houses. I fell once but survived because I transformed in reflex, that heals all our wounds in the process. So ... if you kill me in a way where I don't immediately die, I think I'll transform. Bel, can you do it?" Nina asked.

"I'm sorry, I wouldn't know how," she said.

"I know a way," Adva whispered, a bit frantic. "There's _plenty_ of ways. I'll admit I haven't done it myself, but I had lots of close up instructions."

"From the humans who kept you?" Nina asked.

"No, from home. My water magic left me little jobs but cleaner for castle lords who like certain entertainment." She glanced at Azazel. "Including a few years cleaning humans bits out of _your_ torture hall."

"You were ... " Nina hadn't ever looked at him like that, but plenty of others had throughout history. Then and there Azazel learned Mugaro was not the only one he didn't want to know his past.

"You saved me, _lord_ Azazel, and you also damned me in the first place." Adva's voice was small still, but it was oh so sharp. "Now you're having her save us and yet you couldn't even ask her, could you?"

He looked away, trying to be too proud to answer.

"And you know what else you lords don't ask? _Everything_. We had no say in how our realm interacted with humans. You spent centuries putting a blemish on the name of demons, and now _they take it all out on us._ That damn king has to hide what he does to the gods, but he made our suffering law within a month's time."

Azazel couldn't say anything, some creeping thing that might be shame that actually held him down.

"Of course. Of course a low demon is not worth talking to. Lady Belphegor?" Adva held out her hand. Reluctantly, Belphegor handed her a knife.

Nina clutched her own arms and closed her eyes. Adva stood behind her.

"Are you ready?"

Nina gave a tense nod.

"Alright. Here goes. Try not to be too tense, if possible." Adva took hold of her shoulder, and Azazel didn't want to watch anymore, but he heard the strangled gasp, followed by a thud on the ground.

Nina lay there wheezing, coughed up blood once.

And still lay there.

And still ...

"It's not working," he said.

This shouldn't be happening.

This shouldn't be— the light enveloped Nina, and before expanding shot off into the air, right at the designated spot. The weight fell off Azazel, but left something behind.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Charioce's chariot had reached the edge of the forest when George reported something strange had been spotted in the forest; a shrub that flickered and turned to gold. So, not serpents and fire, but Midas in the shrubs. Oh well, why not? Everything was weird lately anyway.

A cheering crowd approached them on the road. There always was one, but with the thick mist they'd come ahead much earlier. The eagerness to see him flattered him, but they were half on the road and that forced the front lines and eventually his chariot to slow down. Quite inconvenient if they had a rebellion on their heads right now. As much as he looked forward to finally killing the rag demon, it'd be so inconvenient if he had all these civilian corpses around.

The only attack he got was the enthusiastic crowd not minding the borders of the road, they kept drawing closer to the horses.

So close they started pulling down the drummers in the front, piling on top of them, all the while laughing and cheering. What kind of madness was this?

George ordered the march to halt. "Drive them back," he said in a strained voice.

One of the citizens drove their teeth into a soldier's arm, drawing blood. Still smiling and cheering, and the image of it not quite matching the movements. Another citizens bore their teeth into another soldier, and tore out the flesh, just to dig in again. Countless laughing, smiling faces followed suit.

The crowd poured over his soldiers, encroaching on his center. His shield of Onyx Knights threw shields at them, but it barely did more than knock them back. It wouldn't even encapsulate them, they just kept coming. He drew his sword and called, "Kill them!"

His voice came out hoarser than it should. The wheezing of his warriors stood out louder.

A wyvern with rider dropped from the sky. Three beings made up the clutter, the beast, the rider and an unusually large man.

An _illusion_ spell had to be at work. That was worse than a possessed crowd, he couldn't trust his own eyes now. Or his lungs. A cough escaped his throat, breaking his perfect posture.

More people — no, they had to be concealed demons — dropped from above. They did what the crowd could not : rip parts off the armor of the Onyx Knights.

Some of his Onyx Knights stood back up, only to be ignored by the crowd. When one of them turned, he had glowing white eyes for a moment, before that faded and he looked so normal. Except the part where he attacked his fellows now.

It was all a mockery of the ease with which he had conquered hell and to top it off, a bright pink light broke through the fog. It impact in front of him and unfolded into something far greater ... before the illusion took over.

There stood Nina.

In a radius all around her, people were thrown away or burst into fire save for enemies, overlaid by roars and the cracking of fire, but all the illusion let him see was a smiling girl in teal dress, walking towards him as a dancing crowd parted for her.

She held out a hand to him, as if inviting him to dance again. He could expect to be burned alive any moment.

Something must have happened back at the docks, because there were no reinforcements. The pain in his lungs seared up. If she wasn't slow to avoid trampling her allies, he'd be dead already. The narrow circle of protection his Onyx Knights provided shrunk.

Well, if he was going to die, he might as well do it face to face. Charioce raised the front of his helmet, giving her a look at his face.

"Hello, Nina," he whispered through a sardonic smile. "You could have picked a better last name than Drango."

She stood still, a surprised look on her face.

Well, that was interesting.

She tilted her head and seemed to bow?

He took a step back against his chariot's wall, and she followed with a similar step, but not further.

He wasn't going to risk a game now, and be distracted when there were enemies and an audience.

"Get me a wyvern," he commanded the nearest knight, who obliged with a whistle.

A beast that had lost its rider landed in the narrow space aside of his chariot.

He climbed on the wyvern and flew as high as he could. No fireballs followed him. As he rose above the fog, he got his first clear look. The carnage below was zombies, a dragon, a lot of demons and all humans sick or already dead. A hitherto unseen orange hue colored the fog around the battlefield, in the forest and at the docks.

A single flock of wyvern riders rose to the sky, ready to escort him. They flanked him and ... something was wrong about them. Like the crowd of citizens.

Following his instincts, he flickered a shield of Dromos around him, and now one of his eyes — ironically the weaker — saw through the magic.

They were all undead, and they threw themselves at him with no will to live. He tried tearing them apart with an expanding forcefield, but the riders and beasts were too earthly. Dromos didn't affect them half as much as it did denizens of heaven or hell. Three got through and jumped off the wyverns, onto his.

Though unable to bite through his armor, they were armed with the same swords as in life and just as competent. He threw one off and cut the arm off another, but that corpse remained clutching at his wyvern. The third tried to pry his helmet off.

The combined weight made his wyvern falter, and the others of the flock piled on top of him. Rotting fingers flawed through the helmet's eye holes and at the weak parts of his armor.

He impacted on something that tore him along. One by one the things were plucked off by a dragon's claws.

The dragon's underbelly was gray and had a strange portrusion on the chest. Lao.

On either side the other dragons flew, heading for the castle. Maybe George deserved a raise. If any of them survived.

Before they crossed the walls, a single black being rose above the fog. Wings spread and countless thin strands fanned out in all directions — dammit, Azazel again.

Lao shielded him from the onslaught of piercing serpent with a claw, but the things shot right through the flesh and the metal. Pain seared through his lower left leg, grazed his stomach and he got his shield back just in time to avoid one going through his head.

All dragons roared at the thunderous crack of their bones. Wings sprayed blood and they fell, the wind whistled.

Impact would not kill him, but he didn't want what Dromos would do to him to make that happen. Charioce considered jumping before he was squashed under the falling dragon, but Lao spun around while holding on. Nothing but deafening noise registered for long seconds, then nothing but the rasping breath of the dragon below him.

He rolled to the ground and broke into a coughing fit. They were inside the city, on the main lane. The gates weren't far from them, broken along with the walls. The heavy gray had collided with it. Zombies crawled over the debris, along with the orange fog. Wait, no, the fog was in the city too, had only been driven off by the impact of the dragon. The orange was something separate.

Charioce forced himself to stand on his bleeding leg. "Lao, beat your wings. We need that fog to stay away from us."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Belphegor didn't know what to make of it. Held had cheers died on tongues as Nina just gave a glance at Charioce and did nothing, when moments before she'd geared up to scorch him. He'd gotten away.

On top of that, Azazel hadn't been around. The reason had become clear when three dragons had emerged from the docks, one tackling him. He'd paid them back by breaking their wings, but one of them had Charioce and had crashed into the city.

The gates were down. The zombified Onyx Knights made short work of the remainder, their army grew more than it shrunk. There was hope yet.

Dante, her and Eligos exchanged a chance, and agreed.

"Let's head in!" Dante called.

Nina didn't follow. She continued killing Onyx Knights at her own leisure, so they left her.

Belphegor followed after Nishaol and her squad, charging ahead, zombies shambling along.

The gray dragon's head turned up and geared to fire, but Azazel landed on its skull and drove a sword through its jaws. Ignoring the roaring and fear as best as she could, Belphegor scaled the rubble.

On the other side, the Orleans Knights met them, all wearing purple drenched handkerchiefs over their lower faces. Being able to see would only help them a little, but they had brought Onyx Knights with the same.

Belphegor stopped to fight or suffer, just for them to drop. What ...? Had the gas reached the city, did it do something else to them?

A light in the corner of her eye draw her attention.

Just above the fog, a star shone. Within its reach all Onyx Knights fell down. The outline of a child was within, too far too see the face, but she recognized the clothes. Mugaro.

Though curiosity tickled her, they had to push on. The set back with Nina didn't have to matter. If Azazel could handle those dragons, they would get the king.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel had planned to stay indoors and ignore that infernal fog. So of course, right now had to be the time when the holy child revealed himself. There was no reason to disperse outside, as long as the power was used they could hone in on it.

They just had to do that without flying into any buildings. The fog was so thick and high, the morning sun had a hard time shining through, but this had the benefit of them unfolding their wings without immediate alarm.

At the lowest end of the city, where the river lane descended, floated a glowing child over a loud battle. A very familiar child. The colors of the clothes suggested it and once she was nearer; yes, that was the one called Mugaro.

It threw off her advance. This was a dusiu with dark gray hair. El had been a blond boy, right? Maybe she'd been wrong for once. Regardless, this child had the same rare power they sought. She flew up, her servants close behind her, intent to confront the child with the offer to flee.

A quick glance at the battle quenched that intention.

On the lane just behind the gates, the demons had one hell of a rebellion going on. All Onyx Knights were down and the only thing defending the king yet were three dragons. Three _vulnerable_ dragons with Azazel speeding at them.

Her orders were to find El and immediately return to heaven, but the reason they had to find El was to resist Charioce. It would be the height of foolishness to remove El now Charioce was closer than ever to being killed.

"Eziel, keep guard on El but do not move nur," she said. "Kevesiel, go arrest Bacchus and Hamsa. They've been deceiving us."

"But lady Sofiel, our orders—"

"Ultimately serve to defeat our enemy, Charioce XVII," Sofiel said. "End of discussion, do as I say."

Sofiel targeted the largest dragon, a heavy gray thing with horns that glowed blue as it prepared to spit fire at Azazel. It didn't even notice her as she summoned she cast her shining spell. Circles lines up and a massive winter spirit unfolded, a flowing being of light and frost. Sofiel directed her through pact to cast a freezing spell right at the dragon.

Once it noticed her, the dragon was stupid enough to try firing at her rather than move. Too late. The spell turned the entire damned thing to ice.

The slight downside was that Azazel now had a massive icy roadblock in his way. He flew across it, but in that delay the other dragons took position around Charioce. The purple one curled around him to the edge of the lane, the the beige once close by and aiming. The fireball that one threw tossed Azazel into the air.

At once she had an irritated dark angel in her face. "What are _you_ even doing here?"

"I'm here to kill that king. Now shut up and be useful in getting me a clear shot."

"I don't need _your_ help!"

"Pffft, we're all just helping ourselves get rid of Charioce XVII." Sofiel flicked a wing at him and dove at the d

"No damn icewall this time. Wait until I'm in!" Azazel snapped.

She redirected her spirit to aim at the net, but did wait a split second. The dragon opened its maw to fire, and right then Azazel shot in. Sofiel's spirit fired.

This dragon too turned to utter solid ice, but would never wake up : Azazel tore the entire creature apart with a dozen black snakes. So thin and small, yet the power of those things ... thank goodness he ignored El.

Someone else didn't. Sofiel whipped around at the sound of fire gearing to where she knew El floated. There was no cry when an energy ball hit the child, but the golden power faltered. Eziel was ... turning to sparkles around El, having taken the brunt of the attack.

A row of airships that was neither beast nor heavenly technology approached over the city, headed right at El. Though El's force returned with nur focus, the ships weren't affected, it had to be powered by something else. Too much wyvern riders poured out.

On top of the ship stood — oh dear. _Merlin_. Once a favored of fate and heaven, recently fallen back to demonic heritage under Azazel's reign. And now on board with Charioce apparently, literary and figuratively.

Merlin rained down a hail of black spheres, right at El — but intercepted by Azazel's snakes. At least he had some sense.

With him occupied, if she now froze that dragon she couldn't get to Charioce. Oh, damn it all.

No time for risks. She dismissed the spirit and flew toward El.

"El, we have to leave now! Please come with me." She held out her hand, but El shook nur head.

El shook nur head.

"It's not safe here! Heaven will be able to help you much better than these lowly demons. We will save your mother together and take down this evil king."

El backed away again, but couldn't go far. Without wings ne only could float.

Behind them, Azazel tried to get at Merlin, which left an opening for the wyvern riders. The one remaining dragon now geared at them too, throat filling with fire.

No choice. Through gritted teeth she cast a metanoia rosary spell. Golden chains unfolded and enveloped the child, whose power went off entirely. She opened a gate to heaven.

The spell hurt El as ne resisted. She had to ignore it and rushed through the gate, dragging El along. Still, Sofiel cast a final look at the carnage below, a sting of regret in her mind. No, she couldn't risk El for this. They were merely demons, after all.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel shot after Mugaro, but held back short of attacking the last glimmer of the angels. If Mugaro was holy, they would not hurt her. Down below were his comrades, who _would_ die if he left them. The Onyx Knights could move now. He had to turn away.

Nina had proved useless. Most of those he'd pacted with had walked off, and the three that (probably) remained were useless now. Rita's zombies had stopped reacting. Bacchus and Hamsa with their carriage were nowhere to be seen. Now of all times the demons had followed him into the city, right to their deaths. For him. Because of him.

The knights, Onyx and Orleans alike, herded the remainder of the rebellion together.

Azazel fell down on the nearest one and rammed a blade through the eye holes, before pushed Dante out of the way of a trapping sphere. Others fell to the spheres and the Orleans Knights's swords, trapped before being stabbed.

They could still make it to the slums, the underground ... but then the'd follow him there and kill what few remained in the halls. They'd know.

The toxic fog remained outside, and Nina was still there. If they could make it to the gates, they had the advantage again. There were hundreds of meters between here and the gates however. He had no good shield for them and all forces concentrated on him. The airship with Merlin would soon be in range for her to fire at the lane.

"All of you, go outside. Now! Don't wait for me!"

"Lord Azazel ..." Belphegor said.

"I need you to live!"

"But—"

"I will draw them to me. Run!" He pushed he onward and turned away.

They did run, he heard them, he didn't look back. He sped towards Charioce. If he could just get there, cut through that dragon — more knights got in the way, he slaughtered them, passed over the remaining Onyx Knights, killed two more through their eyes. A mecha caught up to him, he circled it to entrap its legs with snakes, keeling over the damn thing.

One enemy, another, Charioce got closer every moment, almost there — Merlin jumped in the way with just enough punch of magic shield to block his onslaught of serpents. A green sphere hit him in the back next, throwing him to the pavement.

"What the hell are you doing? I'll break your pact if you don't step back!" he spat at Merlin.

"Go ahead," Merlin said. "I for one have some pride in my people, I'll be glad to be rid of your taint too." She waved her staff and charged up further. He prepared for an onslaught, but all she did was create a thick shield over herself and the mangled king. "More pride than you have for yours."

He'd rather ignore the condescending little nod to behind him, but it had gotten quieter back there.

"Azazel, draw back!" Eligos called somewhere behind him.

He realized too late it wasn't for himself, but for them.

To his left and right, Onyx Knights charged up arrows from the regular archers. They aimed further down the road, at his allies. He turned, yet his snakes died before he could send them off. They were too far now, except those already melting on the ground.

In the split second it had taken him to turn, Eligos had been shot through the stomach and head.

He shouldn't have left them unguarded. Should have taken one, just to save one, and flown away. That was all the time he got to front before his enemies closed in.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Belphegor ran, forgot about anything but running. Arrows after arrows rained down around her, pinning them to the rocks. One arrow. All it took to kill was one arrow and the flesh would melt off the bone.

The gates were broken, but the only streets not blocked yet. All ran ahead, further until the range of the arrows ended.

That chance ended so easily. Out of a sidestreet a mecha stepped, swiping a heavy axe across the ground. Most of those with her were pierced or threw against the walls. She jumped across the tip and kept running, jumped below the mecha, only to be hit by another blade. A red cut across her legs, the hard flat side and one wall later, she crumpled to the ground.

Dazed she sat there, trying to regain her bearings.

She had but a split second to register the shadow descending, threw herself down on reflex.

The scream broke from her, betraying her survival.

Her head had fallen clear but her legs lay useless in a cracked gap in the street. The shadow raised. She could only wait for death.

It did not land. Another shadow joined in. Over the noise of the battle she heard a familiar voice. "Stop wasting time and protect the king!"

The mecha moved away at once. Kaisar was his name, wasn't it? Didn't matter.

The captain of the Orleans Knights whispered, "I'm afraid this will hurt a little. Hold still as long as you can."

The rustle of clothing, then his sword descended stark between her neck and shoulder, cutting her skin. She couldn't stop the yelp, but it wasn't lethal.

Kaisar walked away as if he'd just executed her. She lived, but her comrades did not. The sounds of his sword piercing a fellow demon, the commands he gave to his knights on how to best mow down her friends mingled with cries and blood, crawling into her sharp ears. She could not block it out.

Somewhere in the chaos Azazel cursed, surrounded by the clash of metal and flesh.

 _Get away! Please, before they kill you too._

The sound of that damn green energy joined with his wrangled screams.

Tears prickled in her eyes, but she had to force them down. She had to live, somehow. If she could drag herself somewhere, if someone found her, if she didn't bleed out long before then, if she hadn't been spared for worse.

A heavy shadow fell over her, accompanied by heavy breathing. She pried her eyes open.

Nina hovered over her, sniffing at her. She could only mutter, "Go. _Ahead_."

 **· · · · · · ·**

By the time his attackers released him from the sphere, he was so full of pain he couldn't do anything but drop to the ground. One of the largest Onyx knights grabbed his arms and twisted them back with one hand, placing the other on his back. The wrist black flicked out of its sheath. Azazel drew in his wings before they could be cut off, in time, but the knight just cut open his back. He wouldn't be able to grow them and fly even if he got loose. Not that he had that chance. Five surrounded him ready for another sphere, and the one holding him was far stronger than a human.

Between the power of Dromos, the dragon, Merlin's treachery and the now immunized Orleans Knights, he had nothing left to hold onto save one.

Nina came down the lane, careful as she sidestepped the demons and scorching any knight and soldier she came across. If she could just go ahead, if he could just get loose he'd deal with that dragon—

"Hold fire!" Charioce called from somewhere. "It might not attack if we don't pose a threat."

Azazel pried his head to the side. Charioce had emerged from below the wings of the purple dragon.

Though confused, his subjects ceased to fire.

Nina didn't immediately stop attack, but she didn't pursue anyone into the smaller streets either. She went ahead

A thick silence fell after the endless noise and screams.

Nina turned to Charioce at last and ... and nothing.

She lowered her neck to some of the dead demons, looked at Charioce and then back at them, but didn't try to breathe fire or move ahead. None other moved, the scene frozen in fear for eruption.

Charioce took a single step back.

 _And she stepped back too._

"Nina!" Azazel cried out on what little breath he could push out. "Move!"

She turned to him.

"Kill him! Save the demons!"

 _Please._

Rather than go for Charioce, she ran toward Azazel.

The dragon behind Charioce changed shape for a moment, turning purple and small without ever fully taking human form. It remanifested as a fully healed dragon and leaped at Nina with speed and grace she never managed. It threw her on her side, right into a building and pinned her down, claws forcing her jaw shut. Over and over, it bashed her skull into the ground, until the glow returned and her tiny human form dropped to the ground. Azazel couldn't see her anymore in the rubble.

Charioce turned his attention to Azazel. "We take the rag demon for questioning."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Favaro returned to Anatae in chaos, also known as his element. Keeping his old knight outfit paid off for a second time. Though his dark skin stood out and he was recognized soon, Charioce hadn't yet given an outright warrant for his arrest — he knew better than to make a fuss about the hero of the world. Favaro acquired a wyvern by climbing the outer wall, slipping into the station, hanging up a story about returning in the hour of need and nicely for a beast to ride into war on. Once out of eye line of the knights, he tied an antidote drenched handkerchief before his nose.

None of this should've been necessary. He'd come by horse only to run into ravenous civilians who turned out to be zombies when they devoured his horse. None of the nearby horses he could steal were battle broken anyway, so he'd taken a trip to the castle.

He was too late, they had lost. Favaro always rolled with things that went wrong, but this was a contender for breaking it. They had so little time left.

Amira's glowing form led the way across the quieting battlefield, a long lane starting from the lowest. Houses had collapsed under the dragons and people milled around trying to save people from the rubble. Every here and there a listless zombie wandered around, ignored and ignorant of its own existence.

One dragon still lived, center of the lane. Amira landed on one of its paws. Below it lay Nina, in one piece, but judging from the crater and the pool of blood it hadn't been that way. Damn. Not how he hoped to meet his little student again.

Another dragon towered over the mist elsewhere, and a third one lay in frosty pieces further down the lane. Favaro had been thinning any of the rogue demon dragons that answered the inquiry, but it hadn't been enough.

Amira focused him on another scene : a group of Onyx Knights dragged Azazel down a side street. They'd strapped him in a makeshift harness from bent metal that kept his wings in and another came running with a slave collar. Azazel didn't struggle, weirdly enough.

 _That_ he could handle better without prep. Favaro swooped down and threw one of his smoke bombs, commanding his wyvern to throw a fireball right atop Azazel — he'd live, and it'd throw force his mortal attackers to back off for just a second. Azazel just fell down.

Dammit, he better not be injured somehow. Did any of these people even have holy weapons?

"Azazel, we don't have all day," Favaro called.

Nope, not mortally injured, after a second or two he stood up and kicked back the nearest Onyx Knight. Favaro jumped down and cut off the rest of the harness.

"Hey there, long time no see!" Favaro said between shooting a bolt in the eye hole of the nearest Onyx Knight.

Azazel stared in confusion, then manifested his sword and killed the nearest enemy. Poorly, he stood unstable on his legs somehow, like he would break through the middle any time.

Favaro whistled the twice, the wyvern returned — bless whoever trained these beasts — and he jumped back on. "Wanna go grab someone and get out of here?"

No word, but with some effort he forced his wings out, sprayed blood all over the place, and followed Favaro.

Favaro had his wyvern take a dive into the misty lanes, below roof line but high enough to be a story over the heads of anyone down there. Amira toured them around so they could approach that dragon from a small street behind it.

"Listen, we gotta grab that girl first, I'm distracting him, if you can—"

Azazel pulled his torn cloak off and shot in the right direction, so Favaro quit talking and swooped up. He caught the dragon's attention and feigned to make a dive for Nina. Jaws snapped at him and got a little love letter in the form of arrows. When the dragon reared back to fire, it let out a scream instead and collapsed. Favaro caught a glimpse of Azazel disappeared into the opposite street, the dragon collapsed on a pierced leg.

Swerving sideways, he pretending to head into another street. He braced for the dragon throwing fire after him, but it did nothing. Amira led him around until they came across Azazel right as he tried to rise to look over the fog.

"Hey, don't. Follow me!"

Azazel had Nina wrapped in the black rags, leaving Favaro a clear look at the torn flesh on his waist and arms — damn, something had torn him into pieces. He regenerated, but wouldn't be up for up for a fight.

He raised his hand and made a cutting motion, Amira nodded. Favaro had been willing to give killing Charioce a shot by intercepting him in the castle, where that dragon could not be, but that plan assumed Azazel to be healthy.

The streets were empty, civilians having holed up inside or fled. Amira insisted they don't head into the slums, she led them to the docks at the edge of the walls instead. He could guess why, any remnants of the rebellion would have fled to the slums already. It'd be chaos there.

On the docks, Favaro went right for the warehouse Amira pointed out. Azazel had followed him without objection, but now asked, "Why that one?"

"It'll be empty, trust me."

In this moment was his first clear look at Azazel in ten years. He missed his lower horns and the smaller set of wings, he'd lost a few belts too, but the most notably absent was the explosion of contempt, pride, annoyance and sadism. Throw in having a pink haired hybrid girl near without it being a problem, and it might as well not be Azazel.

Well, nothing Favaro could help, nor cared to. There were bigger concern. "Hey, can you still do that thing you did where a projection of you turned into Kaisar's old man? It'd be great if we could send a mirage of us on this beast off across the water."

"I don't have the range for that," Azazel said. "Hell is too weak."

Great. In a nearby street someone ran, it might just be a guard. Amira flitted across the dock on alert for anyone who saw them, nothing yet.

"But Rita ain't," he said. "Can't you do something with this mist?"

"I don't know how."

Great time to discover lacking confidence was a thing, Azazel.

"What if I told you I learned a few magic tricks in the years? I worked with Rita on planting bombs in unusual locations, I can craft animate magic a bit, I'm not dense. Give it a shot and see what happens."

No words, but he stretched his wings a little and Amira turned darker.

Azazel saw nothing, but when Amira put her hands in the air where his lower horns had once been, a shiver went through him. He frowned but let it flow. Out of him stepped a replica of himself and Nina, and the same happened for Favaro a second later. The mirage was a little too glowy, but in the mists it might not stand out too much. Favaro clapped the wyvern on the back and pointed across the river. With a shriek, the beast flew up and the mirages dutifully followed. Right after, wyverns across the city turned towards the river.

"You got'it," he said to Azazel, and for Amira too.

Favaro picked the lock of the warehouse, using a low key magic trick to close it behind them to avoid suspicion.

Azazel laid Nina down on a crate and stepped back.

Nina still wore the fake bounty hunter bracelet; Bacchus hadn't taken the hint to give her a new one. His own had started glowing a while back in response to the power of Dromos, so _something_ had to have gone right, but it wasn't enough. Crap.

"Why are you here now?" Azazel asked.

"I've been out of the city for years, but I'm not unaware of this mess," Favaro said. "I reckon Kaisar isn't a big fan on what this kingdom became, so I guessed he might get in trouble. I'm surprised he isn't."

"You underestimate the dog's loyalty to his king."

"Yeah, Kaisar always had a bit of a problem with judging kings. You know, if I'd have known XVII would happen I wouldn't have quit being a knight. I'd have killed him in a blink," Favaro said. "Well, can't change that anymore. We gotta go somewhere from here. What are your plans?"

Azazel didn't answer.

"Come on, man, tomorrow isn't going to wait for us."

Still nothing. Oh well, they had to wait here until dark anyway, it could wait.

He ransacked the storehouse a little, but there wasn't much food to be found. Some grains and potatoes. He took the latter, built a makeshift fire in and had nothing to cook in. Azazel didn't want to eat and told Favaro to just eat it raw if he had to. Still, he could be cajoled into bending some metal he found into a crude pot, if reminded that Nina also would have to eat once she woke up. He was gonna add it'd take longer if Nina had to chew, but that wasn't necessary. Huh.

Amira returned a while later, now covered in dark armor that shed to reveal her softer radiant self as she approached Favaro. Unlike usual, she retained some of the darkness and the horns.

He had the cooking pot in a corner out of Azazel's sight, so he could move without it looking suspicious. Favaro took out a paper and drew lots of stick demons, along with a question mark. Amira wiped her hand over the whole thing and gave a sad head shake. Damn. They were either all dead or enough of them were that it didn't matter. It looked like his heavy weight allies were down to Azazel and Nina. He could work with that, but he wasn't sure he could do it in time.

He wasn't sure either whether he should tell them about Amira and what they (probably) were trying to do. Azazel would despise being manipulated in any way, it might just make him act more stupid. And Nina, well, she could see Amira sometimes, but she was also vulnerable to the machinations of fate.

Within the hour, Nina stirred. Well, at least that was faster than he'd expected. Dreary, she pushed herself on her elbows.

"What happened?" she asked. "Is it over? Did we win?"

"Hey, Nina," Favaro said.

"Teacher! Why are you here?" She scrambled onto her knees and held up her hand. With a smile he returned the movements; their way of greeting.

"Believe it or not, I'm trying to get the wind to blow another direction," Favaro said. "Not having a lot of luck with that though."

"Oh! Right!" She looked around and saw Azazel in the corner; his face was down. "Did it work, did we win?"

A tense silence fell where he fixed her with a glare. "You didn't attack him. He got away and everyone was slaughtered. The gods took Mugaro."

"What ... that ... that makes no sense. I attacked Charioce the first time, right?" Despair encroaching with every word as she looked around; Amira looked on with quiet sorrow and sympathy. "Everyone else is ... I should've killed Charioce, right?"

Favaro didn't like where this was going. He excused himself by saying he'd go see about getting Nina some potatoes. At the pot, he turned over the paper and got ready to guess.

Amira couldn't convey much when they couldn't hear each other, but she'd been able to indicate some kind of connection between Nina and Charioce using images he'd drawn. Favaro had included relation points like positive, neutral and hostile. Nina and Charioce had somehow gotten both the first and the latter, which Favaro had at best interpreted as the king maybe not wanting to kill her, but capture her. It shaped up to be worse. He repeated the figures except now he drew a dragon, with an arrow and positive sign aimed at Charioce. Amira nodded.

Oh crap.

Soon after Nina had eaten her fill, subspace deemed it fit to return her clothes to her. She took off the wrapping of black rags, folded them and approached Azazel, holding them out without looking at him. He snatched them and walked to the door.

Speaking of people not looking like themselves, there was Nina without sunshine.

And himself without any advice. Just _move on_ didn't cut it.

Well, physically moving on was still a solid plan. "Nina, uhm ... look, I don't know how to handle all this, but we gotta move before someone empties this place. Do you have any friends nearby where we can hide longer?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina knew exactly what to expect when the door opened and still she cringed when Marcio shrunk back and slammed the door. Favaro planted a foot in the door just in time.

"Marcio, I'm really sorry, but we need a place to hide," she said.

"Nina, what did you get into? Who is that?" His eyes were locked on Azazel, whose horns hid poorly below the cloak and paleness stood out.

Favaro pulled the door further open and leaned in. "I'm Favaro Leone and these are my sidekicks. Don't worry about the demon guy, I've got it covered."

"The man relaxed just a little. "You ... do look a lot like Favaro Leone."

"Yeah, I used to have a statue or two in this city but I'm gonna guess the king removed them. He doesn't like competition. So, the short story is : your king's pretty evil. Happen to hear any rumors of gods showing up today and fighting demonic dragons? Thank your king invading heavenly sanctuaries. I'm part of an effort to stop him. Nina's my student and says you're a decent guy. I'm not asking for more than letting us stay for the night until things cool down."

"Uh ..."

"Please?" Nina said. "We'll be gone as soon as we can, but there's too much bad people around right now."

Marcio looked across them, longest at Azazel, and took a gulp.

"I guess if-if you say it's safe," Marcio said. "Uhm, you can be in the cellar. Please don't come out during the day."

Nina went first, Favaro closed behind them.

Down the cellar was lots of bags of flour and no light. Favaro started arranging beds out of the bags at once, jesting about this being the best bed he'd had in weeks.

Azazel slumped against the wall and kept his face down.

It felt like she should say something, though nothing seemed right.

She hunched down before Azazel. "I'm sorry."

He just didn't respond. At least no anger her way, to her relief.. She wasn't sure what he'd say but it would be painful. Dante, Belphegor, Eligos, all others ... they were likely dead. They wouldn't be if she had gone ahead and killed the king. Why, oh why hadn't she done it?

"I'll make up for it somehow," she whispered.

Now he looked up, not furious, but so bitter she couldn't bear it.

"We can't," he said.

"There's got to be a way. Maybe if I'll find out how to control my dragon form better—"

"Just go back to living as a human."

Was the spite in his eyes at her, or at humans? How much of that was sorrow and how much hatred? What would he do now?

What could she do? Other than survive.

She went to sleep that night with a strange sense of deja vu she couldn't place, but it made the cramped space worse and the scales poke out of her skin. In her mind she tried to write a letter to her mother, but for the first time it felt like she couldn't even talk to her.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Even his castle was filled with that infernal fog. It couldn't be dispersed with ordinary means, and though they'd captured the zombie master, she refused to cooperate so far. He'd have burned her already if there wasn't the risk they had nobody to lift this curse. Like he needed the extra worries.

He might just have accidentally funded his own assassination. The rebel force ought to have been a small number of starved demons whose only threat were a suicidal moron, a shiny beacon waiting to be hit and a little dragon. Not healthy demons, archangels, swarms of undead and _humans_ on top of that. Or poison gases. Half his Onyx Knights were skittering corpses now and the only reason he had walked away alive was ... those dragons. George deserved a raise, and Charioce himself deserved to wallow in this disgrace. He had to become better than this, he could not afford this so close to his goal.

He couldn't afford his straying thoughts either. He'd expected _her_ , but not so close to his current nemesis. The temptation to speculate on whether she was abducted and coerced was stronger than it should be. Over the hours he spent dealing with the fall out of the rebellion, she kept creeping into his mind. What had been undiluted fondness mixed with a bitterness he tried to tuck away — he didn't get a lot of simply happiness and it wasn't to be spoiled. By fate. That was the worst of it, for the first time he doubted he was favored by fate.

Returning to his room where he'd be alone with treacherous thoughts filled him with dread, yet he had to rest eventually.

The fire had already been lit, giving the room unexpected coziness that wasn't entirely the illusion of the mist. That treacherous part of him said not to mind it and simply enjoy it. He considered giving in for about three seconds before he realized he wasn't alone.

A woman sat before the hearth, humming as she knit. She looked up at the sound of his footsteps, young and radiant in ways he had never seen before before ... when the image didn't pale and flicker with every beat of his Dromos fueled heart. Then there were only withered bones in the mist.

"Chris, you're home at last!" it—she said.

"Mother?"

 **· · · · · · ·**


	9. Sinners

**· · · · · · ·**

Dead, dead, all dead. Good thing she hadn't joined the fray.

Cerberus had ditched Paracelsus at the machines of the dock and fully, totally, absolutely intended to go back home. It was just that her road led her through the forest, and after her darlings confirmed the failure of the rebellion, she wasn't in a hurry anyway so she walked. Better to spare energy.

So she came across Belphegor's miniature court, huddled in a shrub. Even Durahanem was there, despite being a warrior.

"Well well, look who didn't join the battles," Cerberus said. "What's your lot here, hmm?"

"Kolraun locked down," Durahanem said. "I went to find them when they didn't show up and stuck around till he could move. What happened?"

"An amazing, spectacular loss. Almost everyone is confirmed dead," Cerberus said, with a look at her little puppets. "Isn't that right, dears?"

"We suspected. And where were _you_?" Durahanem asked.

"I bailed, of course," she said. "No point getting myself killed."

"Is lady Belphegor alive?" Adva sniffed.

"We smelled a nice speck of blood that was her," Coco said.

Aaaaand there were the sad faces. Ugh.

"What about Azazel?" Durahanem asked.

"Some purple blood," Mimi said. "Does he dissolve like gods do?"

"No, he fell too far. I suppose lord Lucifer might dissolve, but Azazel never glows, does he?" Cerberus said. "Anyway, we do we even care? We aren't high priority, but the rag demon is, isn't he?"

Aww crap, we?

Then again, she could teleport herself if she had to. It wouldn't hurt to move them on their way, in case Belphegor showed up again and would complain about her servants being gone. The red light district would be a quiet day today anyway.

"Darlings, go find us a safe route to the underground, okay?"

"Will do!" Mimi and Coco poofed away.

"Okay, you lot follow me. You can't stay here in the hills, they report stray demons _especially_ now."

At one of the smaller entrances, they ran right into a farmer with his carriage heading out. There was a surprising lack of scowling.

"Oh, hello," the farmer said. "You really should head in and find shelter as soon as possible, we just had a horrible demon attack! I know a good inn not too far."

"What?"

"Yeah, I know it's hard to believe. This is Anatae, home of the great Charioce XVII, but look ..." He pointed at the collapsed wall and the peak of a frozen dragon head a little further. "It was a true disaster. They're still hunting down the terrorists and there's word of ghouls too, folk who look normal but act strange ... you're not ghouls, are you?"

"No, not at all. What direction is that inn?" Cerberus asked.

After the man pointed them the way and they were out of earshot, Cerberus said, "Rita's fog still works, but it won't be long before people figure out what's up. If anyone turns on us, you split, got it?"

The group nodded.

"Good. As long as they don't, follow my lead."

The roads were too quiet, except for clusters of shouts. When they crossed a city square, they saw the source of one of them.

A mob had gathered around a group of demon slaves, and two humans. They were in the middle of stringing them up on trees, ropes and pitchforks at hand, no doubt seeing them all as humans.

The wimps wanted to turn back, but a human had already spotted them. Cerberus wasn't in the mood for a chase.

"Keep walking, stand still when I move towards them." That fog better be giving them some fitting illusion. "Then complain a bit about us having to get home cause some damn demon attacked our mom and she's bleeding."

Cerberus rushed ahead and kicked one of the demons on the ground in the head. "Serves you filthy lot right!"

"Don't go dirtying your pretty shoes on that, madam," one of the men said. "A lovely lady such as yourself really shouldn't be out at this dangerous time."

"Do you need any help getting home?" another man asked, that eager glint in his eyes. The kind that wanted more than help.

"No, we wouldn't want to bother you," Cerberus said with her sweetest smile. "Thank you for keeping the streets safe, we barely got away from those other demons."

"It's our pleasure, miss," he said with a congenial smile.

Cerberus pranced back to the group. "Come on, dear mother, let's get you home!"

At the edge of the slums, her dogs returned.

Coco reported a raid to find anyone related to the rebellion. The definition of anyone was any demon who the knights felt like murdering.

They entered the empty underground anyway, looking for survivors.

The tunnels had been ransacked. Burned food lay scattered and Belphegor's lab had exploded. The scent of blood lay thick over the place, not because there had been many left to kill, but because the infirmary had been set on fire. Demons burned poorly.

Adva would have walked in, muttering something about her friend that she had to find, but Cerberus hauled her out and told Durahanem to keep her close.

Mimi poofed back on her hand. "There's someone in the walls, ruff."

"Well, let's check that out, shall we?"

Down an unused corridor, unfinished yet, they found a single hidden door. Durahanem tapped the code and the rocks folded outward.

A long spider leg hooked around the walls, followed by Arachna's shy face.

"Oh, alive ones. Come in, quick."

Within was a narrow corridor. The moment Arachna closed the door, a light went up.

That woman with glasses, Trismegistus probably, leaned against a back wall. Nonchalantly she placed a purple sphere back on a torch and with a sighed said, "Well, the tracker is here."

Adva found that friend of hers in a not so well state, Durahanem questioned someone about the possibility Nishaol might have been by but got scared off by the raid. Kolraun looked present now, and started a headcount.

That normal human woman was there too, somehow.

"What're _you_ still doing here?"

"They thought I was a traitor," she spat. "I had to hide."

Everyone else was someone sick or half broken.

"So, this is it, eh?" Cerberus said. "How lousy. Oh well, try to get out of the city at dark, there's no life left here if you were seen by the wrong people."

"There's no life left for any of us if the captives talk," Trismegistus said. "They took Dante and Azazel. I don't know much after the former, but Azazel has no reason to not sell any of us out."

"How would you even know that?" Cerberus asked.

"Well, I experienced enough of Azazel to understand he is a murderous selfish piece of shit—"

"No, I meant how you know who got captured."

"Oh! I followed the group into the city, made a wall to hide behind once things got too violent in our direction." She brushed her hands across the wall and the crude rock turned into bricklike shapes. "Alchemy is my trickery. You know any way I can make that work out better for this little rebellion, than what Azazel had in mind?"

"What, me?"

All heads turned to her.

"No. No! Don't look at me. I did my job, I'm not doing more! No."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Of all the places Belphegor expected to wake up, a rich room wasn't it. The place was somber and old, but expensive, the kind that people didn't build to live in. In her corner a wide bed with curtains around the two open ends, a table at the wall, a few book shelves with little on it. Rich wood, no life.

The sun rose during the time she was awake, but remained a dim light beyond the persistent fog. Her own thoughts weren't disimilar.

Everyone was ...

The bed was well enough and the place had been cleaned. Someone had bandaged her legs too and she didn't bleed anymore.

None of this fit. Blurs of crawling into an ally, someone carrying her off, then a horse. Evidently someone had taken her, but

She could only wait, alone with her thoughts, and she didn't even care that much to learn.

 **· · · · · · ·**

El didn't feel like having slept, yet her eyes were closed. Sensing around, nobody familiar was close. Not even humans. For the first time in years, she had no idea where Azazel was. Even her mother was so far she couldn't sense her anymore.

Sofiel had taken her at the worst time. Had anyone survived? Had they won? Or worse, lost?

She forced her eyes open, though she didn't know what to do from there on.

A silk veil fluttered above and she lay in a bed softer than ever before. When sitting up her elbows sank deep into the pillow; she'd been cradling it without knowing why.

The room was brighter and cleaner than anything she'd ever seen. Marble pillars lined perfectly smooth walls, which had been engraved with figures El saw no meaning in. Flameless candles were all over the room and basins of water with a pleasant radiance lay in a circle around the bed.

There was nothing else in the room except a table with a few chairs. There sat a true god — the pure power emanating from her gave it away — in the form of woman with wide mint colored hair that didn't quite care for gravity. As she stood up, her ornate white gown likewise floated as if she was unbound by earth. A shimmer of rays lay on her outline, her white wings most of all.

She wasn't quite like her mother had described Gabriel, who in the past wore more gold. Now the only gold about her were her eyes, which belied what El could sense deep down : Gabriel was not kind.

Her smile might fit someone who was, that unsettled El more than anything.

"El, I am so pleased to meet you." She spread her arms. "We have long awaited you. My name is Gabriel. Has your mother told you of me?"

El nodded. Since Zeus's sacrifice, Gabriel ruled heaven. The holiest being in existence, but that no longer sounded right.

"Then surely you understand what we can do for each other. If you take your righteous place as the successor of Michael, we will be able to save your mother."

She brushed El's bangs aside, revealing the red eye. El had to resist the urge to draw back. Two years of fear it had made it feel natural to hide.

"You are tainted with demon blood. It will get in the way of transforming you to your true nature," Gabriel said. "So, we shall purify you first. You must cooperate with this. Once you are pure, my magic will raise you to the godhood you were always intended for. How does that sound?"

Her mother had always said Michael had granted her El in the hopes they would be happy. That's all El knew. Gabriel sounded like she wanted something.

"Once the scars on your throat are healed, we will speak at length, but for now you might use a lesser method."

Gabriel gestured at the cabinet next to the bed, where paper and a sleek golden pen lay. El crawled over to it and tried to write. Hopefully Gabriel could read human language.

 _My mother is missing. The Onyx Knights took her. I know where she is, but I cannot get there. Will you help me find her if I help you?_

Gabriel delicately took the paper.

"Of course," she said. "You will be happy to learn our goals are the same, for we seek to overthrow our common enemy, Charioce XVII. That is what we must do before we can save your mother."

That did make sense. That king was everyone's enemy. If he was still a threat, then Azazel and his friends must have failed. El hoped they'd gotten away.

"Will you help us save your mother and bring peace to the world, El?"

El nodded eagerly. It didn't matter Gabriel wasn't kind. She wasn't vicious either, and El needed all the help she could get. She'd save everyone if she could, her mother, all her friends, and Azazel if he still ... well, if he didn't become an enemy. She hoped he would not. He better not.

 **· · · · · · ·**

It didn't even feel wrong anymore to be stored away in some filthy human cellar. Quite fitting, actually.

When he had come to Anatae after the fall of Cocytus, he'd come in the name of pride alone. Now pride had broken apart to reveal there were bigger failures than humiliation. Only one thing could matter : he had to save the demons. He couldn't even do that.

Favaro pried an account of the failed rebellion out of him and wanted to know about Rita and Kaisar. Azazel answered in short sentences, only what was necessary to get him to shut up and leave. Azazel didn't trust him. This human had been a notorious liar and there was something _wrong_ with how he was able to coax magic out of him.

It was a relief when he finally said, "Hey, I'm gonna have a look around for Kaisar. I could catch him on patrol, he doesn't change habits much. Nina, you stay here."

"Okay, teacher."

Somewhere beyond the cellar door, the baker asked, "Uh, are you sure that's safe? Leaving when that, uhm, that demon is here?"

"Come on, old man, I know what I'm doing. I always do, or Bahamut would've scorched the world already."

The sound of Favaro clapping someone on the shoulder, then Nina shut the cellar door. She lit a candle and approached him. Bits of bread where still on her cheek. She'd been gorging no doubt. How she could after all that happened — but of course she didn't remember any of it.

She put the candle on a crate, rearranged a few sacks and sat before him. "Can we talk?"

As if saying no would stop her.

"Are you the same Azazel who invaded Anatae?"

"Like I'd let anyone have my name."

She swallowed.

"Adva said you had a torture hall. Was that just to get information, or do you think hurting people is fun?"

"You once asked me what it feels like to kill : power indeed, but power is boring when one is as strong as I am. The best murders were those that struggled in interesting ways. Then it felt delightful. I sought the way humans could break and explode. Your teacher knows me. Personally. Did he ever tell you of a demon and the game of revenge?"

Nina shivered. Maybe he had told her.

"What was that about getting the key for Lucifer, that chimera? What about invading Anatae?"

"What does it matter? It done, and she's dead. You can ask your teacher about that too."

"I want to hear it from you."

He kicked the sacks she sat on, tearing it open.

She stood up and crossed her arms, stubborn more than anything now.

How much could he get her to hate him with just the truth? Enough to kill him, or just to leave him alone. No, Nina wasn't the right one. Nina didn't have the heart to ever be a murderer anyway, not without going dragon.

"Azazel?"

She really had no sense of timing, did she? He didn't want to talk about how he failed to conquer Anatae now of all times. But alright. He could give her some ugly truths, maybe that would shut her up.

"There were no gods at all, just Jeanne d'Arc. I could have sneaked in with the damn cat to distract her. It just never occurred to me _not_ to take an army when going to a human city."

"That's it? Just because?"

"That's how we demons do things," he said.

"That's _not_ the demons I know. Not most of them, at least." She sounded so strained. "I doubt Siem and Kiprio do that, and I don't think Belphegor felt very nice about hurting people by accident. You know, there's a lot of them who just want to live in peace. So that answer is dung."

He looked away.

"I don't understand how you can be awful for at least as long as Rita lived and now you're ... not that. I don't think, at least. How does that work?"

That he knew, at least. Nina had this way of looking out of her eyes that pleaded like. Not quite as good as Mugaro, she had a bit too much fire for that, but still ... It wasn't as obnoxious a question as the plans he didn't have anyway.

"We gods are made to endure millenniums. Humans with their short lives need dynamism and change to progress, we who live eons need stability. Single interests can last us ages without need for reconsideration or alternation. Lord Lucifer has his books. It was always humans for me, even before I fell.

Best not to aid humans too much, Uriel always said, louder than even Gabriel. Reverence was best, they were always farmers of faith. That didn't work so well me. I tried helping them when I was an angel, and I paid for it. As a demon, I didn't need faith. We needed fear, and that affected what I wanted from humans, so I played with them. I farmed something other than faith or fear. What reactions I could twist out of their ordinary lives, see the upheaval a single strong emotion could cause.

Lord Lucifer has joked defects like mine are why Gabriel fears angels who encroach to humans too much. Maybe it wasn't a joke."

"Farming. You had to do bad things to stay strong, is that it?"

"Are you looking for an excuse? Too bad. No, I didn't get immediate benefits from the fear I sowed. If hell's energy thrives, birth rates go up, food grows aplenty, range of spell casting increases, pacts grow stronger. Not individual might. What I got was convenience and entertainment."

"But ... " She trailed off. He'd won, he'd said enough.

"What more do you want? If you can't kill Charioce, go home, let us rot."

"No! No, I do think the demons have to be saved. This kingdom isn't going right. But what you did wasn't okay either, and I noticed the other demons are afraid of you. I saw Mugaro run. You never told me about you ... How can I make a fair decision to join if I don't know what I'm really joining? I have to know what would happen if you have this city are your mercy."

It was so tempting now to tell her he would slaughter everyone and burn the city down, one little lie to drive her out that door. A mere decade ago it wouldn't be a lie. All would be easier if that hadn't become the kind of thing he'd liked to play with once.

For once he really couldn't stand Nina to be here. Dante, Belphegor, Eligos, everyone else was dead and Mugaro was gone and she just sat there and had to remind him of everything else he had done wrong.

"What you decide doesn't matter anymore. There's nothing left to decide over. You're worthless to me and to the demons this way. None of your damn talk helps anything, so just shut up already."

And let him mourn.

"Fine, be that way!"

She spent the rest of the time on the other end of the cellar, behind a stack. Azazel closed his eyes and pretended to know peace.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Belphegor had been staring at the door until it opened. When the captain of the Orleans Knights stepped in, she was both surprised and aggravated.

Rita had insisted he would not be killed no matter how obnoxious he got. She'd agreed easily. If she met him she'd knock him out, but after hearing him be part of slaughtering her friends there was much more bitterness behind it. That he'd spared her did only a little to diminish that.

"Ah, you're awake." He set down a tray on the table. "How are you doing?"

Everyone was gone. Dante, Eligos, even Azazel. How was she? Empty would be nice, but she was here. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't go there.

"I'm alive, and I suppose curious about why."

"I managed to bring you back due to that fog concealing you as human. I first brought to your home, but Cerberus wasn't there and I didn't want to leave you unattended and unconscious in the red light district."

"I don't live with her anymore anyway," she said. That, and Cerberus might be dead.

"You don't? But, Cerberus said all the women had returned."

He wasn't answering her question, was he? Why was she alive?

"She lied," Belphegor said. "When did you even speak?"

"I was there ... celebrate an honor I had been bestowed. My knights had convinced me to come. For what it's worth, I never hired any women for myself."

"There's not many of us to hire, when of us were brought here against our will. There is a different word for that, human."

He looked down. "I merely meant to assure you that I won't lay a hand on you. You can stay here until you are healed. I advise you against going near the windows, though the fog would obscure you to those outside, your human illusion still stands out since there are few people with a dark skin color."

"And you have a reputation to keep."

"That is also true," he said. "Uhm, I have a housekeeper around here. I told her that you're from the red light district and were injured, and I brought you here fearing for your safety if left alone there. She comes by every morning and won't speak of your presence, but only as long as she sees you as human. Try to open the window covertly so enough of Rita's fog comes in."

She propped up on her elbows. "You're aware Rita did this? Just how much did you figure out about our rebellion?"

"Please lay down, miss. I wasn't aware of anything other than that it happened and you might have poison mist spells. I know of Rita's fog because first met her within it."

That would be why he knew a trick to counter it. "How long until your housekeeper learns a handkerchief with anti dote wards off the fog?"

"She won't think it's necessary to wear inside," he said. "I will ensure she does not. You _will_ be safe here. This is the mansion of my family, it was restored to me by Charioce XIV. It won't be raided or searched."

Belphegor ran her hands over her face. Here she was, with this guy. He might not have the mind set of a murderer, but he would value his rank over doing what was ... right. If there was anything like that. She supposed she didn't have a point to demand righteousness from anyone, the world lacking a basic law about it. That didn't mean she wasn't bitter about the blood on his hands, be it directly or indirectly.

Kaisar sat on the edge of the bed. "I have to tend to your injuries, would you mind trying to set up?"

"I _would_ mind. I can reach my legs, let me do it myself." She held out her hands, and he gave her the bandages and medicine.

"The wound at your neck—"

"I will handle it."

He stood up and opened the door to leave, but paused to say, "Azazel isn't dead yet."

She couldn't stop her wall from going down for a moment, and sounding hopeful. "Did he escape?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid that might not last long. We've gotten words of his whereabouts. Listen, if there is a way that I could help him escape, I will."

She sank back into the pillow. "Will you really? Can you vow that on your honor?"

He turned his eyes down, might even look sad, but she didn't buy it. He could just be mourning his honor.

When alone, she struggled with the bandages and medicine. Human matter was still so primitive, and she wasn't specialized in healing. Be it her injuries or her losses, she had little energy left to give.

It took her long to finish. Once done, she hid under the blankets, but burried the side of her face against the wall. It was too hard, but hell was all tough places, and it was what she needed. After running from hell for centuries, she now wanted nothing more than to go back.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Uhm, Nina, could you come out here for a moment?" the baker said from upstairs.

"What is it?"

"I have some hair dye and clothes for you. The bathroom's free."

Nina left.

And stayed away.

Too long.

He didn't expect her to burst in to show off her new look now, but she shouldn't be up there too long. They were supposed to be hiding here, after all.

What if something was wrong? She was vulnerable to a lot of things, including stupid humans. He could still lose her when everyone else was gone already.

So he got up, despite himself.

The cellar door stood partially open, but he heard no chatter or talk anywhere. Definitely not right. Nina had either left into the open or something had gone wrong inside.

He just barely sensed the weight dropped right behind him before it was too late.

A collar shut around his neck. Heat scorched his skin as magic welded it together. Right away, the collar's power bore right into his flesh. All the force of a sphere concentrated into his neck like a thousand frozen needles, he buckled through his knees and could only scream.

Black metal boots surrounded him, fingers bore into his arms as he was dragged onto the street.

A human crowd had gathered, held back by city guards. And he was the display.

When they threw him to the pavement the spell ceased, but before he could get up an Onyx Knight stepped on his back.

One jerked the cloak off of him and held it up, another pair of hands tore loose some of the bandages on him — for injuries today, but once his disguise as the rag demon.

"Behold, the scourge of Anatae," one of the Onyx Knights said. "The rag demon."

The crowd backed away, but didn't flee. They stared with hatred and awe, mutters growing to shouts and curses.

Two knights forced his arms onto his back and tied them with wire that sent the same needless through his skin. The one keeping him down extended the wrist blade and sliced open his back, cutting short even the chance of growing his wings out.

A second burst of power went from the collar, and this time they let it go on. He lost time and they found rocks to hurl at him, along with all the curses they knew for the demons that had torn into humankind.

When it stopped, he bled more than he should. He could only lay there breathing.

It was over. He couldn't do _anything_ right. He hadn't just failed Dante, Belphegor and everyone else. He'd failed his people for centuries already.

Between the crowd he spotted a familiar face, under a hood and with brown hair now. If he'd just dropped her to her death, if he'd never started caring for anything but the demon clan's pride, he wouldn't be here. But he was.

She didn't do anything. Why would she anyway?

 _Run_.

She still stood there.

 _Run already_.

A wyvern landed nearby and a knight hauled him into chains, ready to be dragged to the palace.

Nina backed away, until he couldn't see her anymore.

Azazel dropped his head and found peace in the thought of giving up.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Nina, please understand. The Onyx Knights confirm that was the rag demon. He led that assassination! I don't know what he told you, but we've been terrorized by him for years. I'll testify for you," Marcio said. "That demon's just been using you, I'm sure the court will understand that he threatened you."

"But he _didn't_ threaten me."

Marcio had led Nina to Emeline and Burkhart's place. He sat there with a hefty dose of money in his lap and now insisted Nina turn herself in because he'd returned from the knightly headquarters with word she too was searched for.

"Nina, you don't understand right. You can't just go defy the laws, they exist for a good reason. To protect us against demons. You can't say or do anything that implies you've been corrupted by them. I know you're a good girl, but the judges don't."

Marcio had to know something was wrong, because he'd gotten her disguised before leading her out. If he distrusted the kingdom's leadership so much, why even defend it?

She couldn't fight so many knights, probably. But if she'd gotten Azazel free ... she didn't want to think about it, but some part of he had said that maybe he wasn't worth saving. What a choice. If she was free she could help more than just one and probably people less criminal, but every bit of that reasoning revolted her. She didn't want to have to make such choices. Weighing whether someone was good enough to risk herself for, and then leaving someone behind just to bet on herself. It wasn't fair and it shouldn't have to happen.

Favaro eventually burst in, ignoring the protests of the shop owners. "That went so wrong."

"Teacher! What happened?"

"Kaisar was preparing his knights to go capture Azazel," Favaro said. "Or at least back up for the Onyx Knights. Guess that's one thing that worked out, there's a lot less of the black cans around. We still gotta leave the city, Nina. It's over."

"We're _not_ leaving this city."

"Pretty sure your mom didn't send you off to get into a war, or get cleaned up in the aftermath. You're 17, Nina. You still gotta listen to your parents."

"I'm really not, and do you even have a plan other than just going where the wind blows? Everyone we have to save happens to be _here_!"

Favaro shrugged. "If we don't scram, we're gonna need saving."

"You can't just keep winging it, teacher! Eligos said a no one's getting anywhere if they run around just betting they're gonna be strong enough to win everything."

"It's called _fleeing_ and Eligos is dead, isn't he?"

Nina blinked. "Wait ... that's not an argument against the stuff he said. Anyway, we need to organize better. We need human allies like Cerberus has."

Favaro looked around the room, at the three doubtful faces who wanted her to turn herself in. She had to admit she sounded silly in this scenario, but the idea stood.

"You guys aren't gonna start a rebellion to save some demons, right? Tell her," Favaro said.

"Of course not! Why would we?"

"Oh boy. Fine. Look, the king's corrupt," Favaro said, holding up his bracelet. "He has a bounty out for me. Not the divine kind."

"The king ended the centuries of torment demons wreaked on our nations! He subjugated an ancient evil that by far predates you," Burkhart said.

Favaro stood up and dropped his pants.

"What the, no!" Nina yelped. The rest of the room similarly feared, only to find Favaro still wore his underpants.

It was the tail that stood out now, a black thing with a triangle at the end.

"I've been having this things since years, haven't got the slightest difference in how evil I am, folks. I still wanna scram, but my student does have a point on the great evil that predates me."

"Please put your pants back up," Emeline said.

Nina sighed. Favaro and his ways. Even she could have more tact.

"Everyone, I know what I'm talking about. Well, I think I do a little more now. There's an old lady in my home town. She never called herself a demon, but she still is. She's just doesn't want people to think of her as a demon because of what that word carries. And I think I get it now."

"Nina, what do you mean?" Emeline clutched her hands. "You can't be a demon, right?"

"I'm a descendant of demons who wanted to live on earth," she said. "There isn't anything like evil blood and your king knows it, because he hired dragons like me to fight for him."

"That's what that ice block creature is?" Burkhart asked.

"Yes, in full form, he'll change shape if he wakes up. Our kind probably left hell because our forms were too great for its corridors. Some like my ancestors became the friends of humans."

"Did you join the rag demon to free the other demons?" Emeline asked.

"Eventually, I didn't even think anything was wrong with how the demons were treated when I got here. It was only after the Orleans Knights attacked me that I got involved. Azazel saved me, and I saved him. I've become a dragon for our sakes and I've done it for all demons now. I failed to defend them, while my kin succeeded at protecting the king. They joined with Charioce on less of an accident, I bet. It was demons that defended your kingdom, and if that's evil, your king is allied to evil."

"Nina, that doesn't make sense ..." Emeline muttered.

"Just wait and see what happens when that big dragon is defrosted," Nina said. "That's all I ask."

Nina didn't have much hopes they'd do anything. They didn't even have the power, being simple citizens. But maybe they'd be a little kinder to demons in the future.

"Teacher, I'm not leaving. Not until everyone is dead I won't, and we're far from that." She stood and and went for the door. "My tomorrow is here."

Favaro grinned. "I can't tell whether you're getting it better than me or worse."

"We'll see soon."

Nina had one more ally to ask help from, who might just have concrete power.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The throne room didn't have enough carpet for all the people Charioce had to fit on their knees today. He had the council room dusted off and a better head chair hauled in there before the meeting took place.

That this meeting even had to happen was an affront. Rearrange his forces, so late in the game? And of course that damn black specter had to hover around today.

The situation was _painful_. That gas hadn't been designed to kill directly, but it slowed down enough for the zombies to make short work of anyone. Add a few demons to pry armor off and voila. The very best of his Onyx Knights had dropped like flies all around him, only to turn into zombies with all the skills of an empowered human. Lao had to burn them all.

Now he had all these outsiders falling into his lap to fill the gap in his forces. George could be called reasonable, but two of Azazel's lackeys defecting? He'd call it fate's fortune, if fate had not been so cruel.

Merlin and Athos were humans once more as Azazel had broken their pact, but Merlin was still useful as a sorcerer. That gray dragon could be unfrozen, perhaps he was alive and payable still. Lao's flattering words might indicate loyalty, or might be a ruse to get an untidy job over and done with.

Progress on creating airships that didn't outright rely on demonic creatures had advanced, but they were still slow floating islands that wouldn't be able to match with heaven's refined vessels, which left him with a problem now that heaven had the holy child and its inconvenient immunity.

His four dull political advisers and the equally dull Chabrol had already seated in the half circle before him. Their chatter concerned the raid on the slums, which hadn't given them much more than a few tunnels full of sick demons. Difficult to spin as a terrible invasion force that justified this disaster. Poison gas that caused a cough wasn't very spectacular. They could play it as a curse, but it wasn't a curse and they had no idea how to replicate it — couldn't cast it in the arena for a demonstration.

On top of that, he was about to hire another woman in an important position. Jeanne had already been there, she hadn't done as intended, hadn't feared him enough. Merlin looked like another trouble case like that, taking the center seat opposite of him without hesitation. He needed her right now, though.

"So tell me, what exactly drew your interest to my kingdom when you served the lord of another?" he asked her.

"I seek out the greatest human kings of the era," she said. "I am destiny's servant, whisperer of prophecy if it suits me enough. Fate speaks kindly of you."

Did it now? He wasn't so sure after the Nina incident.

"Did fate speak kindly of serving demons?"

"I traded, rather than serve the scapegoat. Fate was not always kind to my road. I might have sought to defy it once but I have since accepted its directions. Do my choices not serve you well, oh king who overthrew heaven and hell?

"So it would seem. Merlin, you serve under him," he said, gestured at raccoon guy as he dutifullys stepped forward.

"I am George Diels,leader of the Onyx Knights."

"Perhaps you did not hear me right. I am no knight but a guide," Merlin said. "What would you have me do with _them_?"

"We publically called them knights to appease the population," Charioce said. "They are more of a task force, however. They don't waste time on civil matters. You need to provide them back up for the magicial deficiencies they lack."

"Back up. Hmm. My skills lay in advising kings and laying out the future of a realm," she said. "And you want me to provide back up?"

"My kingdoms runs fine on its own, but my task force does not, unfortunately. You went through some effort to prove yourself on my side, so I'm willing to entertain your allegiance. On that note, Athos, why don't you bring in your proof?"

Athos had happened to have known where the zombie master was and captured her alive. Probably to show off, otherwise he'd be delivering the corpse of such a tiny girl, who would be impressed by that?

Such a tiny thing. Pale as death, barely an expression, neatly cut black hair with a dark blue dress and one of those tiny ornamental hats. Quite the little lady, if she'd been alive. The kind proud but poor parents show off.

When Athos pushed her to her knees between table and throne, she locked eyes with Charioce. Within it, he found no child. She was old in ways that seemed right out of his grasp, but at the same time he couldn't respect her. What had she achieved with her life, after all?

Athos grabbed the back of her head and pushed her to the ground. "Kneel better, girl."

Kaisar flinched at that.

"Is something the matter, captain?" Charioce asked.

"I had not expected a child," he said. "Is such rough treatment necessary?"

"It's not a child," Athos said. "It's another pact mate of Azazel. A rather filthy one, I don't think this one could even live without the pact."

"This _master_ is the cause of that zombie army," Merlin said. "And she may have a hand in that fog, if I overheard them right."

"That gives us a chance to turn the tide and hold the reigns. Well done, Athos. I do believe he has earned a place among our knights, does he not, Kaisar?"

He gestured at Kaisar to step closer to the front and introduce himself. Athos faced him with a respectful head bow.

"My name is Kaisar Lidfard, captain of the Orleans Knights," he said. "We would be honored to have your service."

"I might be honored, if your honor lays loose of the church," he said. "Forgive me the doubt, your order was but a small grain back in my day. As was this entire kingdom."

"We have no ties to the church," Kaisar said easily enough. "Our honor is born from our own code of chivalry."

"Then my honor it will be as well," Athos said.

Kaisar muttered some words about mutual honor and looked tenser than ever. Charioce itched to know what exactly this man's ties to the demons were, but there was no convenient way to find out yet.

"What methods might we try to eradicate a being that already is undead?" Chabrol asked.

"A number of the undead enemy were skeletal and did not respond to head injuries, so we burned them all with fire," Kaisar said with a thick throat. Charioce might just relieve some of his stress, just now, but not for his sake.

"We keep the zombie master alive."

George had that little tendency to stare extra hard when he disagreed. Too bad.

Charioce had been avoiding his living quarters, because of a painful little situation there. Painful in that he _didn't_ want to clean it up — the thing there itself wasn't dangerous. It remembered him. All. Too. Well. And he had to find out how much of that was true.

"We have a problem with the power of Dromos draining our life force, and now our enemy has someone who tampers with life and death. We need to learn more. She will oblige our requests, because I believe we have someone who matters to her," Charioce said. "While investigating the slums, we aquired a few interest bits of information. She treated the injuries the rag demon sustained from the power of Dromos, which means two things. One, she has experience remedying its effects. Two, she is aware he was the rag demon and did not turn him over, despite otherwise having a reputation to insist on her money. I believe we can arrange a different payment system, or am I wrong?"

The girl's ability to keep the exact same dead glare on her face was either admirable or just a defect in her facial muscles, but he suspected the former.

"You keep Azazel _alive_?" Merlin asked. "Are you aware he can teleport when he has enough energy? Even when hell is so low on sharing power, he should still be able to go some way."

"Don't worry. We developed a radiance that prevents this ability, based on the power of Dromos. Every other power he has, we will be able to counter as well."

He'd ordered one to be made after Lucifer got away exactly like that. Little technical failures like that had been aplenty, that was one of the worst.

He had won the battle with Lucifer, of course, but that wasn't easy to prove. _He teleported away_ sounded like a weak excuse, regardless of its truth. If he had been able to return from hell with Lucifer's head on a spike, he would have had a much easier convincing the population heaven was obsolete. He could have told them that they hadn't ever cared to defeat the lord of hell, finding it useful to keep them alive to stimulate reverence for the gods.

For now, he had to work with what he had. He might die, but his legacy had to thrive. Even if the means were more unsavory than he had envisioned.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita's fog was even thicker within the park. Nobody was around but herself, and she dared hope Chris. They had a date the day after the assassination on her intent, Nina had hoped he'd show up so she could make sure he was safe from there on. Now it was the other way around and she needed help. Be it support, a place to hide, or a way to turn into a dragon, ... okay, maybe not that last one. She couldn't trust herself in that form anymore.

Sh hesitated to wait at the bench they met, or the gazebo he'd probably pass on his way there. Unable to sit still, so she walked back and forth.

It was Chris who met her in the middle of that little trek. She almost didn't notice him in in his white clothes, ghosting out of the fog as he did.

"Nina." He held out a hand and she laid hers in it, glad for the first truly comforting touch since everything had fallen apart. "I was afraid you wouldn't show up with yesterday's disaster."

"I had to exactly because of that. Chris, I have to tell you something important."

"As do I," he said. "I believe it's best we get this over with soon."

The bushes rustled and black shapes emerged. In Nina's double sight, the fog's magic struggled to shape the forms as more than green humanoids. Only as they got closer did she see them right.

A dozen Onyx Knights surrounded them. She pulled her whip out, ready to defend herself before she remembered she had to be careful. In the struggle she might hit Chris ...

Why was he still smiling at her, ignoring the knights?

"Chris?"

He lowered his left sleeve : a bracelet with a shining green stone was upon it, the same kind the Onyx Knights had on their chest.

Nina couldn't move. "Who ... who are you?"

"I told you. It wasn't a lie, but not the full truth either. My name has always been Chris, but ten years ago, my father died without legal heir. The same event that took my mother allowed me to go to the palace as she had always wished, where I became Charioce XVII."

"No way ..."

"I am not the only one who has been silent on their double life, Nina," he said. "Are you not the red dragon?"

She had to find her voice before she could say, "I'm not." She was the magenta dragon.

"Really? I wonder who ate all that food then, which you bought with my ring?"

He couldn't be. This was simply too absurd to be real. In what world could she fall in love with ... with whom really? Chris and Charioce were the opposite, one so kind and the other so cruel, they couldn't exist as one. They shouldn't.

The Onyx Knights encroached, too many of her to handle at once. She looked for a way out, but they were so much faster. The blow landed on the back of her neck.

Chris didn't smile anymore as she dropped down. Then the world stopped.

 **· · · · · · ·**

He alone had been the one to see her come at him in that illusion fog as Nina. Probably every ally who had been there was dead. For all everyone knew, Azazel begging Nina to move might have been her controlling Lao's little degenerate somehow, or she'd been stationed somewhere nearby for another purpose. There were ways to play this off that he could explore.

It wasn't like he needed to put up an act before his Onyx Knights, they already knew who she was and that he had an interest in her. But it was a test for himself, the kind only fate could provide.

Nothing was more important than his goal. He couldn't let a woman, let alone one out for his life, get in the way. These feelings had to be packed up and put aside until the day of his possible death.

What to do with her though?

Keep alive and torture for information?

He didn't want to ruin her that much.

Execute her?

He didn't quite like the idea as much as he should. Especially not the public kind where he would no doubt be expected to watch.

There was no room for trivialities like compassion, so something had to be done. He settled for a public trial with her as a treacherous human. She'd be an example, to be sentenced to the island. He'd die there one day, she might as well be right under his feet and do the same.

As he arranged for this, Chabrol saw it fit to storm into his office. At least, compared to his usual shuffle.

"Your majesty, with all due respect and a great deal it is, why on earth would you risk putting an immune dragon right on top of Project Risiz?"

Lao was rather tight lipped about his little degenerate, but it was clear she had some kind of transformation block or she'd have transformed hours ago. Clearly this was not a pressing threat.

"My word is final," he told Chabrol.

"But your majesty ... wouldn't it be terrible irony if our fated project to stop a dragon ends up sabotaged by a dragon? Please, I beg you, reconsider."

Fate could take its irony and stick it up its arse. If it had him fall in love with his enemy, it clearly couldn't be trusted.

He narrowed his eyes at Chabrol, just enough to indicate anger. The man cowered, muttered an apology and drooped off.

Good dog. Despite his failure of confidence, he knew to fear his king more than a little dragon.

When Chabrol shuffled off, Charioce sat back and allowed himself a moment of reprieve from the forms he had to wrestle through. Nina was a persistent distraction, even now. Something he shouldn't have given in to due to his imminent death. A commoner too, he could not hope to pursue her without jeopardizing his standing. Sure, he had absolute immediate power, but he still needed funds from the aristocracy. Despite everything, they still had the economic advantage, having families and experience to fall back on when he'd just been a cow herder before.

So he ought to be glad he was rid of the distraction now, but that didn't make him desire her less. How absurd. She could have killed him yesterday if only he'd stared at that smile a little longer.

Would she still smile after she lost the sun?

 **· · · · · · ·**

The courtyard was barren in ways the city squares were not. No trees, meticulously clean and no smiles or chatting. Guards, knights of bother order, soldiers, all kinds of royal servants had been gathered for what felt like a cold show.

Nina sat on her knees, hands between wooden blocks enforced with metal. Before her, a pile of the sacks she'd used to bring food to the slums, and beyond that over the stairs a golden throne with red furbishing, radiant even in the fog.

On it, the man she knew as Chris _and_ as Charioce. His face the same, but in his sleek gray clothing with the black fur cape and the blond hair short on his head, he didn't fit with the warm man who took her to dances.

He looked only bored while a judge read charges on Nina.

"You stand accused of letting yourself fall in with demon ideology, leading to your assistance of the demon rebellion ..."

He had to become the enemy in her mind, and she had to turn into a dragon. She looked around for a pretty face, any face, to get excited by ... but none except him drew her desire.

"... the attack on his majesty therefore falls on your shoulders as well ..."

Him alone did her heart beat faster for, which once would've been worthy of a gushing letter home. Now it was a death sentence to all her friends. She had to have recognized him as a dragon and stopped because her stupid dragon self _thought_ he was a friend.

"... and hereby his majesty Charioce himself shall pass the sentence."

All the time his eyes were on her and yet she couldn't even tell what he felt. Only that she herself ached to just get closer again and have back Chris.

Why _still_ him? Her stomach turned without memories truly playing out.

A little detail registered late in the turmoil, why hadn't her accusations involved being the red dragon? What was he playing at?

"Lock her up on the prison island indefinitely." He just said it so coldly, like she didn't matter at all.

Nina's throat thickened and tears stung in her eyes, both sorrow and rage.

Rage won out. He'd been deceiving all along. It didn't even matter whether he'd done it intentionally or not, because every memory, every smile, every motion of their dances felt like betrayal.

"Is this it? All of this? A whole gathering of a hundred people just for a few minutes of condemning me? This isn't a trial, this is a charade! Just like everything you do!"

"Oh? If it's a charade, I would have expected the curtain to have fallen on my kingdom by now. I seem to be running it for real, actually." Chris shouldn't sound sardonic, this was all wrong.

"You run it alright, but not good. All you do is sit on your throne and pick on the weak demons. Even though they built your capital. Even though you need them! You brought them into your home for your own glory! You're nothing but a bully. An evil king. Human and demon fears you, but I don't!" No fear but that the tears would escape her eyes. She _couldn't_ let him see this. "Demons built your glory, they can tear it down again!"

"Demons have torn down our glory for eons, only to fall at the first invasion where we have survived all they threw at us. I don't see much reason to worry."

"That's ... " She didn't know nearly enough of how demons ran things to counter that. Eligos had hated the government, and Azazel had been a top tier. Whatever their reasons for not enslaving the humans en mass were, they probably weren't nice, but that didn't make Charioce right either. Or Chris.

"All you've got is a kingdom without justice, that's why it's a charade, just much as your heroism in oppressing the demons is false!"

"One's hero is another's villain. Of course the demons you side with would see their enemy's valor as a charade."

"They weren't _all_ your enemies. You're not putting this only on the back of Belzebuth or Lucifer, or even Azazel. All of this is done with the blood of innocents and—" She choked on her words. "No, even the guilty shouldn't get _what you made law._ Suffering itself doesn't rebuild broken walls."

He just sat there, still looking bored. Right then, Nina was sick of men who deemed themselves above talking.

"Say something, _Chris_!"

One could hear a needle drop in the courtyard.

"What would you want to hear of the king you despise so much?" he asked at last. "Or rather, why would I bother giving you further time? An commoner such as you understands little of the needs of the kingdom, let alone humankind."

Nina grit her teeth and tried to give him her most hateful glare. She knew it didn't work, because he answered that same beautiful smile. It'd looked so soft before only because of the scenario had been kinder. Now it just hurt.

"You'll join many of the same degenerate thinking. Tell them nothing changed out here. Tell them the kingdom thrives and the demons suffer as they deserve. Tell them the gods will soon have nothing to even fall _from_."

"Carry around that despair yourself if you have to. All I'll tell them is the ways you can fall. What you are will not reign for long and we won't be the last to rise against you!"

"I may hope not. It wouldn't be interesting. Take her away."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Charioce was going to need a lot of distractions from his distraction, and fortunately he had them.

Deep below his castle was a high security dungeon for special guests, right now hosting its highest priority yet. The official order was to interrogate Azazel and his torturers were doing a fine job already, judging from the screams. The information they might get wasn't important, the lair had been easy enough to find.

Azazel been given one of the wider rooms, where the high function material could easily be switched between. Charioce had long since provided the torturers metal infused with the power of Dromos, capable of holding even the stronger demons. His alchemists were in the middle of generating one of the special poisons from hell that could disable even a demon, just as a safety measure. He hung on a vertical rack, up for some standard whipping. They'd already scorched and cut his back and palms to prevent the serpents from manifesting before a collar spell could he chanted. His stark white skin fit the scene well, worse than any human deprived of the sun for years, accentuating the blood and the cold iron wires stuck through his arms.

He didn't resist. Dull. Azazel just hung there with his head down. No glares, no curses, no struggles. He'd given up already? Perhaps that would mean he could be taught tricks more easily, but Charioce doubted that. Many weaker demons had needed more to break them. Oh well, he'd find out what was up soon enough. In the meantime, he had a delightfully dirty scene before him.

The way muscles contracted and released when given a sudden burst of pain was oh so satisfying on his typical enemies. The throes of violent death postponed, for a long, long time.

Charioce waved off the torturer for some privacy and stood before the handiwork. Demons tended to bleed various colors, Azazel bled purple.

"How unsightly." A delighted smile got away from his careful mask, again.

In another dungeon, he had a few survivors of the rebellion, who had been a little more talkative. He had some material to work with.

"I noticed that child arrived rather late, almost like it wasn't part of the plan that he show up."

Azazel averted his face for as little as he could.

"You had no idea who he was, did you? I imagine you would have used him better if you did. Quite the irony, _that_ child using _you_ for safety. What a fool you are."

That was the guess, at least. His sources weren't really sure what the deal was.

"You may have caused me quite a bit of trouble saving him. I had intended to kill him before the gods got that power. Oh well, I'll just be dishing out gifts to the gods then, the theme being death. Then perhaps that will woman cease to pray."

Strained, Azazel lifted his head. "That woman?"

"The saint Jeanne d'Arc. It is her child," Charioce said. "I am told you and her clashed a few times in the past. You're awfully alive for someone she allegedly defeated."

He dropped his head again and didn't respond at all. _Dull_. Let's add some salt on the wound, see what that gets.

"My father was a coward, you had him tremble without him ever laying eyes on you. Official history books mention him as brave, but I've ensured I know who he truly was. Unlike you, who seem to have quite a few blind spots. Didn't know who the child was, forsaken by your dragon, betrayed by your followers, and I get the impression those gods weren't invited either. I know useless facts about dead people, you can't even trust your allies. That is why hell fell : you all were nothing but a few overpowered fools who simply were never challenged."

Lucifer's right hand had been under his nose for years and Charioce had missed that, but it didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that there was no struggle. As wonderful as having broken enemies at his mercy was, broken didn't mean cooperative or easily played. Some poking was in place.

"So tell me, is that other demon also alive?"

No response, as expected.

"I always pay fair. Answer me this question and I will release one of these wires."

The wires had been stuck through his arm and nailed to the metal ridge of the rack, which was kept cold. Demons tended to be built for the fire, so the frost hurt them even more than it did humans. Add some energy from Dromos and a whip, and let it works its magic. He flicked a finger against the wire, Azazel spasmed.

"What's the point of not answering me?"

Still silent, and ... no, there it was.

"Pazuzu died at her spear," Azazel said.

Good answer. Balads and records indicated that demon had evaporated before Jeanne's eyes, while the hit on Azazel was long distance. The latter thus tended to be more embellished.

Charioce loosened a knob and pulled one single wire out of Azazel's arm, careful not to get any splatters on his own clothing. A strangled noise escaped the demon's throat. The cold metal clanked on the floor. Torture didn't do well if the victim didn't expect some relief. Then again, a little relief meant there was more to hurt later. Well done torture required a balance of relief and rising pain. And he wasn't going to tell the torturer he himself had removed the wire; let him assume Azazel had done it himself and pay accordingly.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne never had counted the days, it would just drive her mad. She couldn't afford that. She spent her free time in quiet prayer, grasping at the always weak presence of Michael and hoping it wasn't a figment of her imagination. Sometimes she wondered why he could reach out to her but not to the other gods, treacherous little thoughts that shouldn't be pursued. She had resolved long ago not to give into lies such as the gods not caring for humankind, or even her.

When the doors opened and a new prisoner was brought in, put opposite of her cell, she continued praying. It wasn't uncommon they stored troublemakers here for a while, though usually far from her dark end. Slightly odd.

"Hello?"

Jeanne dropped her hands and looked. It wouldn't matter to answer, nothing would change, but she couldn't get it over her heart to ignore another person in this pit.

The newcomer was a young woman with short pink hair in an uneven cut, her features suggesting she might be a foreigner.

"Nina Drango, nice to meet you." The woman even managed a smile, albeit a bit broken one. Still more spirit than Jeanne had heard in years. That made it all the worse to know what this place would do to her soon.

"Jeanne. Likewise," she said.

Nina pushed her face against the bars, trying to look at the cells further down the block. "Anyone else here?"

Silence answered.

"How come nobody else is here?"

"They don't want me to preach to the other prisoners." That and Charioce liked to visit and ramble on killing gods, which he was careful not to let leak anywhere but his closest circles. Random prisoners who might mutter to random guards was inconvenient.

"Why'd that even be a problem? It's not like anyone can get out."

"The king thinks so, because of who I was."

"Who you were, or are? And you said your name was _Jeanne_? Hey, can you come closer to the torch, please?"

Jeanne didn't see the point of who she had been anymore, but it wouldn't hurt to concede such a simple request.

"Your last name is d'Arc, right?"

"How do you know?"

"You look a lot like on the statue."

A chill ran over her back. He'd left her statue alone even now.

"Why did the king put you here?"

Jeanne wouldn't endorse him and she wouldn't let him kill her child, but that was a deep, painful history she kept her herself. "I would not revoke my loyalty to the gods when he most needed me to."

"How long ago was that?"

"What date is it? Please include the year."

"The year is 1014, August 1," Nina said.

"Then I've been here only two years," Jeanne said. "I don't suppose the outside world changed much in that time."

"I guess he's serious about indefinitely, if just that kept you here so long. Say, I bet you want out."

Oh gods, did she ever.

"I'm only a simple human now," Jeanne said. "And even when I was a saint I was unable to wield my power without a weapon, or even against humans. I cannot do anything, if that's what you hoped for."

"Well, good thing I'm not _only_ a human," Nina said. "And you're still a saint to the people, even without powers. We have to get out, there's a lot to fix out there."

"Please, be realistic. Even if we got out of the prison, we wouldn't reach the shore. The river would tear us along and we'd drown."

"Oh." Nina sat back against the wall, eyes down now.

Jeanne had a map of the tunnels already, but there were always guards at risk of hearing. There had been no chance so far. Though, maybe soon. The cell opposite of her had never been used. If Charioce had a reason to put that woman so near her, she might have an ally.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Gray mist drifted down the stairs with just a trickle of discord on Sofiel's skin. It wasn't much demonic blood on El, but it stood out in heaven so much.

Amid the pillars lay a circular bath full of sacred water overlaid with a purification circle, with a smaller one further down the water. El floated within the water, fingers delicate on the rising soap bubbles and ignoring instructions to pass through the circles for maximum effect.

The holy power resonated with nur soul, but the demon blood still stuck to nur hair. Only a few blond strands peaked through. Whatever magic had been worked on nur was strong enough to last years. Speculation was easily made, Jeanne had sold or otherwise hidden El as a demon slave; demons rarely if ever had blond hair. Whether herself had cast this blood magic, benign as it might be, was a question Gabriel wasn't interested in.

In fact, Gabriel wasn't interested in anything but what El could do for heaven. Quietly, Sofiel ached to learn more of what had happened after Jeanne and El had fled, but she didn't want to rush the child, who must have been through so much.

Besides, question El too much, even by paper, would rouse Gabriel's suspicions when Sofiel already stood on shaky grounds. Her two servants had kept quiet about her brief cooperation with the fallen angel, but if Bacchus or Hamsa during a drunk mood spilled that Sofiel had acted out of bounds ... well, El had also come to aid the demons in their attempt on Charioce, perhaps Gabriel would be more lenient.

She expected El would be given a position, and it was nice to know El wasn't that shy of stepping outside of what felt heavenly. Still, Sofiel had to proceed with caution. Gabriel had a strict protocol established on what El was and was not allowed to know.

The misinterpretation of the old prophecy was off limits. The plans to use Jeanne to bring back Zeus were not to be mentioned. Jeanne was to be presented as one of a line of holy saints, most honored but not that unusual until Michael's blessing. Otherwise, all Sofiel could and should say to El was an explanation of the daily routine. The purification would take days, if not weeks, judging by this speed. Not to mention the generation of nur wings, which hadn't even begun. Was something wrong?

They could hardly leave the child in the water all day, so Sofiel called El out. While folding nur in a fuzzy towel and drying nur's hair off, she took the liberty to whisper, "El, do you remember me? I am the angel who had collapsed on your farm. You and your mother saved me."

El gave her a nod and a sweet smile.

She laid a hand on nur cheek, and to her happiness El in turn place a hand over hers.

"I will save your mother," Sofiel said. "Know that."

Treacherous little words that she should have swallowed, but that wouldn't undo the wish. As she escorted El to nur room, they kept playing over. She didn't want to take them back.

She had known Jeanne d'Arc only from afar. Sofiel was high enough in the ranks to see the visions of her performance, be it in combat of the kindness she displayed to her people. A distant part of her had wondered why the gods did not do similar to the humans. It didn't really do to admire someone, let alone a human, to this degree. Jeanne was lower in rank, earthly even. It came too close to unjust idolization of a lesser being.

And then Michael went and had a child with her. Fornication might not have been involved, but he had used the very avenue they had paved for Zeus's reincarnation just for her sake. Or so Sofiel had assumed. Perhaps Michael had known of the dangerous of Dromos and sought her out to provide the world salvation. That certainly what Gabriel's belief.

Heaven didn't like to admit it didn't know half as much about spirits and the afterlife as humans believed they did. Michael's actions were an enigma. How did a child of his creation somehow end up being able to resist the primordial power of Dromos? How had he been able to create such a child when a mere incorporeal spirit?

Sofiel did the same to her questions as she almost always did, tuck them away and never ask them, because that would displease Gabriel. She'd already done enough of that.

 **· · · · · · ·**


	10. Tartaro

**· · · · · · ·**

 _ **Author s Note :** Anyone wanna drop a comment explaining why this of all chapters gets so much hits?_

 **· · · · · · ·**

The disinfective powder still stung after hours. The blankets of the bed were too thin and the dragon inside stirred to make her warmer, but refused to come out when called. Not that she wanted it here, the space was too small. She'd be here, like this, indefinitely, already feeling ready to burst open without being allowed.

The cell didn't get any warmer and there was no sign she'd be treated differently from any other prisoner. She did not think she deserved so in and of herself, but if Charioce really was Chris ...

How could he just do this? She could imagine he'd be angry about her being an enemy, but she couldn't imagine why he'd be an enemy. How was Chris the same man as Charioce? _How?_

It was much harder to accept that Chris was a torturer and mass murderer than it had been with Azazel. Maybe because she'd known Azazel killed people from the get go, while Chris had been the perfect boyfriend always bathed in light. But even if she tried to put things in perspective — Chri-Charioce's body count was certainly higher — it didn't make her hate Chris. She couldn't even get herself to dislike him. Her feelings always ran back into the wall that insisted none of this made any sense, so how could it direct any feelings? No doubt it would be easier to hate than to mourn, but she didn't even know where to start changing her feelings. Or whether she wanted to as much as she should — villains were to be hated, but the image of Chris and Charioce refused to blend.

There had to be some kind of explanation. Was something else going on? Did he really have a choice? Was a puppet king or something?

More than ever did she want to ask her mother for advice, and only now did she feel she might actually do it. Now she couldn't. She should have sent her a letter to tell her what went down before. She should have ...

She should have killed Charioce. Chris. She _knew_ that in her mind, but her heart didn't have a direction anymore.

She turned over again, failing to find warmth. It'd been so long since she'd felt the need to curl up in her mother's arms, and just pretend there was no world.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Bummer."

Favaro could say little more to the news that Nina had been sentenced to a special prison and was not likely to be released soon. So much for covering everything. Amira had floated to the castle to find out what they'd do with Rita — Kaisar better get his shit sorted out soon — so when Nina had ran off _without_ telling him where he went Favaro had been unable to ask her to follow Nina. That girl ran so damn fast, he couldn't keep up.

Favaro had stayed with the butcher couple for the past night, and the woman had gone out in the morning to read the boards; Charioce liked to announce crimes against the state to the public at every occasion. Amira was supposed to get a handle on Nina in the mean time, and had yet to return.

No use fretting, so he continued his breakfast. His hosts were in the butcher business but man, there was a thing like too much bacon with one's eggs. Both of them sat opposite of him at the table, eating little.

"So," Favaro said between munching on egg topped bacon, "You guys didn't sell me or Nina out, just the rag demon. It's against the laws to not report associates to demons. Let's not pretend you're Charioce's devoted citizens and help me out a bit. Is there a _human_ rebellion in this city?"

Burkhart clenched his fists. "We shouldn't do this."

"You're already doing it, old man."

Emeline sat straight. "I don't know what they can do, but there's a few. The White Rose is said to be a coalition of doctors and other intellectuals who spread different ideals than the king. The Red Troupe are regular citizens who occasionally sabotage something. The Sacred Circle is another, they're founded in the church. I can give you the address for that one."

Favaro made a point of tapping his tail against the chair, but his thoughts were elsewhere. None of that sounded promising. He might have to get in touch with the demons somehow. All the super strong ones still alive had holed up in Helheim, barring Azazel. He didn't expect he could march in there and get backup. What should he be getting backup for? He wanted to get Nina out, she was his student and he would be damned if he ever left anyone he cared about. But he also had a job to do for the sake of the world. Again. Fuck fate for making this so difficult. Nina wanted him to stick around and help strangers out, fate was being nebulous again, and he himself ... well, he didn't want to be a hero. That came with all sorts of complications, but fate didn't let him be anything else, whether with or against its winds.

Running into Nina had seemed random. He'd been travelling looking looking for work since bounties were low. He'd been crossing a forest to find a town at the center, where Nina had spotted him and cajoled him into being her bounty hunter mentor; he'd agreed in exchange for bed and three meals. It hadn't been bad living for a while. Nina was super strong, atrocious with any ranged weapons, but pretty good with a whip. Then she ran into him while in the springs, and voila, she turned into a dragon and chased him down. Awkward. He declared her training complete the next day, advised her not to hold grudges in an attempt to sound sagely, and got the hell out of dodge because dragons, dammit.

As such, he didn't actually know an awful lot about Nina. Amira hadn't liked it either that he'd been gone so soon, but hadn't been able to pin down why. The more things went down though, the clearer it became Nina was one of fate's primary pawns rather than a secondary. Maybe they should have accompanied her here, or at least kept a closer eye.

"Say, what's Nina been like while living here? As her teacher, I wanna see whether she behaved."

"Oh, she was quite sweet and helpful all the time. Though, she was a little odd in retrospect. She never really made friends her own age and she could chat with us for money and trading talk that'd bore the usual young ones. We just figured it was cause she was so strong that she intimidated the boys and the girls thought she always trying to lead on the boys — she wears a skirt above her knees and her stomach is exposed! I swear the first time I saw her I thought she was a harlot. Before I knew she was from a foreign place, of course. And now ... "

"She was just demonic trickery," Burkhart mumbled.

"You know that's not true!" Emeline said. "Nina just uh, fell in with some bad people. She's young, that happens."

Nina didn't make friends her age, but did make friends with Charioce. What was he supposed to do with that? He didn't have answers for this kind of thing. He skills were limited to bounty hunting and surviving wild fights. Winging it was what he always did.

Amira manifested in the room and Favaro stood up. "Okay, I'm gonna take a stroll. See you later."

Absolutely not, he wasn't staying here in case they changed their mind.

Once outside and out of sight, Favaro drew stick figures of Nina, Rita and Azazel, along with an arrow and question mark. Amira nodded and floated off, wings out. She had two now, a white feathered wing in place of the black bat wing that Michael had cut off.

In the fog it was much easier to sneak around. Amira led him to the riverside and pointed at the island in the middle of the river, her other hand at Nina. Rita and Azazel were at the castle.

"Oi, what am I supposed to do with that? If I bust one place, they're gonna expect me at the other."

Amira pointed at the island again. Her expression was the kind meant for a fight that'd be coming soon, but when he drew a 1 and him tackling the island, she shook her head.

Looked like time for longer chatting. He sat against one of the pillars of the high road, facing the island. A few old papers were pulled out. Amira pointed at the Onyx Knights, and also at a picture of a slave collar. The gems specifically. Then once again at the island.

Favaro drew the kind of factory they used to generate the rocks and Amira nodded, but put her fingers on the drawing and fanned her hands out. More than just a factory, eh?

After going through some more papers, she pointed out several large things, like buildings, mecha and ranged weapons.

What was Charioce brewing there? He already had a station full of the power of Dromos at the rift in Eibos.

He wrote a question mark on the paper, and Amira sighed in disappointment. Hmm.

They didn't get much further cause a tiny cloud poofed in front of him, right atop a rock. It left standing a fluffy white Pomeranian that sent his bounty hunter bracelet glowing.

"Favaro, you gotta come, ruff!" The dog talked. Sure, why not.

"Do I know you?"

"No, but I know you for a decade now. I'm Coco. We want you to come and have a chat."

"Who's we?"

"Cerberus, hound of Hades and agent of Lucifer, and me and Mimi," Coco said. "You're invited for a council talk, ruff!"

Kaisar had mentioned a Cerberus once as an ally of Azazel, but that's about the extent of what he knew. He cast a look at Amira, who made a blergh face at Cerberus, sighed and pointed over her shoulder. The direction was roughly at the red light district near the slums. She floated along when the dog started walking.

He guessed they were going; if there were any enemies laying a trap Amira would warn him in time.

The red light district was dead silent in the morning, perhaps even more than usual. People staying inside to avoid the fog and its delusions.

The dog led him through an empty restaurant, waved at a bypassing cook who ignored them, and led him up five stairs to the attic room.

The room had to cover the entire surface of the building. Red curtains, fancy couches and so many oil smokers filled the space. Bead curtains and wind chimes filled the space with soft sound, the scent of herbs lay thick in the air. Candles and bowls of incense burned all over the place. Though there was a skylight, it had been dimmed by a yellow, shine through fabric. Paper walls stood around, creating a small maze.

If she had tried to recreate her home, then the stories of hell were off : it was dark, it had fire, but it felt more comfortable than threatening.

Favaro tripped over something, almost going to the floor. He caught himself on a long spiky pole stretching out ... both were the legs of a giant spider with half a lady jutting up from between the eyes. She might be as shocked as he was and drew her legs back quickly.

When he steadied himself, he had a look around. Crawling out of corners and onto puffy chairs and beds were a swarm of miserable looking demons.

Except one with dog ears, who stepped with confidence. Favaro covered his nose with a handkerchief with the antidote on it, but the image didn't change much. Only her eyes were a bit too far apart for a human, her pupils too full, her hair a little too red for a human.

"There you are," she said. "I'd say we meet again, but I don't think you ever even saw my darlings, did you?"

"Ah, I get it now. You're why Azazel kept finding us, aren't you?" Favaro said.

"Your truly, Cerberus," she said. "Let's have a chat. No torture's on the menu, I swear."

Cerberus led him to a rim of cushions on the floor around a low table. She took the biggest cushion and sat down with her dog thing on her hand as a puppet now.

"We're still waiting for someone else my dears picked up on," Cerberus said. She shoved a bottle of brandy at him across the table.

Favaro was not going to decline that kind of offer, and decided this warranted chatter. "So, how's it going?"

"Horrible. I got involved in a rebellion in exchange for a few priviliges in Cocytus and a plot of land, only for the whole thing to fall apart and now I'm stuck with the leftovers." She gestured at the still silent demons all around. They watched him, but most lost interest soon. A few read. One played with — was that Bacchus's carriage and hippogryph? Huh, he remembered those being much larger. Like this one fluffy dog could challenge it. Oh well, he'd find out about that if it mattered.

Favaro killed the time by drinking and checking on Amira who flitted in and out of the room to verify the area was safe. She was a little frantic, as always. He'd survived without a phantom at his back long enough, but her concern was touching and he had to admit it made things easier. He wished he could do the same for her.

Eventually she returned to make the symbol for a single other humanoid coming up the stairs, plus one small animal.

"Got him!" another squeaky dog voice said from behind the smoke and paper.

In came another fluffy dog, this one on the arm of a sky pirate in either old or nostalgic coat with lots of silver buckles and what might not be decorative bandages. Short mustache, long hair, sea sworn skin on a gruff but handsome face, Favaro could swear he knew the face from some old book he'd liked to read as a kid. In fact ...

"How much of an idiot am I gonna sound like if I call you the Heroic Drunkard Walfrid?"

The man froze, his faze drawing into sharp horror. "Oh spirits please don't tell me that's how I went down into legend? I didn't spent decades in the void for this."

"Nah, that's just the children's books," Favaro said. "The adults legends are blander, like _scourge of the skies_ and _shredder of masts_."

"Any of them actually calling me captain? In any way or capacity?"

"Fraid not."

Cerberus snapped her fingers, silencing them. "Folklore later. Now that I got all three of you, let's sort out this mess, shall we? Can someone pry Tris out of Bel's old room?"

Walfrid had a seat, chuckling. "You got the science ladies too?"

"Just one."

Trismegistus turned out to be quite the looker. Amira air flicked his nose to keep him from staring at her chest; she made a point of guarding his manners too.

The woman sat down on Walfrid's other side and kept her attention on Cerberus. "So?"

"I wasn't interested in rebellion, but that was before," Cerberus said. "I and my darlings have been listening around a bit and we learned zombies aren't that affected by the power of Dromos and that hybrid child is capable of shutting them down altogether. That's a pattern now : Nina, that kid and the zombies are all part human."

Walfrid raised a hand. "Can confirm. I fought some of those black tins, they mowed down the demons around me but I was fine."

Favaro quirked a brow at the man's bandaged arm.

"Okay, I got hit, but I didn't melt like they did." He waved off imaginary bugs and continued, "Well, the hell born anyway. Azazel doesn't seem to melt either, so he better stay alive."

"Am I missing something?" Favaro asked.

"Oh, you're very new. Azazel is the demon we pacted with," Trismegistus said. "Recently he got his hands on some of the past bounties under his reign, we're two of those. We _might_ have been three if Cerberus hadn't lost track of Paracelsus."

"He was a nuisance and I wasn't planning a rebellion yet, okay?" She flattened her ears.

"And you all are now?" Favaro asked.

Walfrid nodded. "I don't want to go back into the rock, and I don't want to die. Definitely not for that damn demon. But I do give a shit for me not growing old and having super powers, so I'm willing to invest in his survival. Same for Trismegistus, right? Right. And you are?"

"Favaro Leone."

"Never heard of you, but I'm kind of out of my time. This lass here thinks you're important for this mission, though."

"Oh, I just saved the world from Bahamut. Supposedly I'm a holy knight, but I haven't got a speck of saintliness about me. They did retroactively knight me, though. I guess you can say I'm still in the world saving business. And you?"

Cerberus flicked her ears. "It's pretty simple : I'm not going to risk my gut, but I'm not going to be in a great position either, especially for my payment, if Azazel doesn't turn up in one piece somehow. Lucifer's fond of him, you see. So my dears can provide you directions, but you're gonna have to do the bulk of breaking him out," she said. "Walfrid and Trismegistus can pull their weight with their pacts intact, which leaves you. Favaro Leone, care to become demonic?"

Favaro revealed his tail. "I'm afraid I'm already taken."

"Oh, I might be able to work around that," Cerberus said. "If it's not in your blood. Otherwise, we'll figure out something external."

"What's in it for me?" Not that he didn't happen to have a goal for which freeing Azazel could be useful.

"You're a bounty hunter, right? Once I return to hell, all the money I gathered here will be useless. You can have it."

"What about Nina?"

"Useless, and don't think I didn't notice her scent on you, as is Azazel's. So let's not pretend you don't have a stake in this too. Azazel's my priority, but if we form a pact, you can try to get her free once that's done."

Favaro sat back and hooked his arms behind his head. "Let me think about it."

 **· · · · · · ·**

 _"You are proudly part of the productive penal system, which will channel your energy into worthwhile service of king Charioce."_

That's what Nina was told when she asked why she and everyone were being herded from their cells, down into long tunnels. People split off by known patterns. Jeanne had disappeared in the crowd, but not for long. She reappeared with word Nina was to be on her team, so she could follow.

So Nina trailed her in silence. That of all people her cell would be across Jeanne d'Arc. Chris must have done this on intention, but why? She was a little grateful for Jeanne's presence, who seemed kind, at least.

When Jeanne at last went into a room with echo beyond the doors, Nina stopped on sheer impulse. Raw, somehow familiar raw power pulsed in there. Her first thought was what she'd felt near Chris, when they arm wrestled, but it dragged up many more emotions that came without knowledge or images. The sensation of danger and violence.

"Move!" The guard shoved her in the back and she stumbled into a hall. Jeanne caught her by the shoulder. The guard marched past and called out, "201, new one for your team."

The hall was lit in orange, making the few spots of bright green stand out all the more. Furnaces in the walls, and twelve kilns lined across the floor. Between them people moved buckets and glass containers holding lights. A bright metal plate on the wall opposite of the door glowed in green markings. Amid all this the small pyramid in the center seemed less noticeable, bland as it was, but Nina could pin it as the source of the power. She wished she'd asked Azazel more about how magic force worked. That pyramid thing did _something_ , but she couldn't even tell how to start figuring it out. It looked so mundane, just two meters high and made of regular stone.

"Nina, come." Jeanne led her to a kiln near the end of the right line.

"What are we doing here?"

"We work," Jeanne said.

"What ... " She froze where she stood as it sank in what penal production mean.

Slavery.

Charioce just had ... enslaved her.

Charioce was Chris.

And the world wasn't right.

She could understand why one would be jailed for crimes, at least. It wasn't like with the demons, and she _had_ tried to attack him ... Nina closed her arms over herself and tried to fight off questions about why he could be that way. It wouldn't help to fret. She forced a smile on her face and said, "Okay, show me what to do!"

A stocky woman in her fifties raised a hand. "Not her job, mine. No talking unless instructions."

Nina darted up to her. "Hello, I'm Nina."

"Rachel. I head the squad of this kiln, you're replacing Margareth," she said, looking Nina up and down skeptically. "Damn, I asked for a strong one, and I get a shrimp."

Nina rolled up a sleeve, showing some muscle. "Oh no, you got the right one."

Rachel grinned and made a feeble repetition with her own arm. She was bone marrow even through the long sleeves of the prison dress, but what really stood out was just how dark her hands were: blackened with the veins standing out. The other women sans Jeanne had this too, but Rachel's was worst.

"I hope that means you stick around, I hate losing faces. You know, I've been here from the start. At first they had demons hollow out the island, but after the green stuff went they removed all demons. Now it's just us slow people," Rachel said.

"What's here?"

"Where are you from, that you don't know that?"

"A hidden village in the east," Nina said.

"Figures. So these are factories of arcane magic where we generate stocks of the green stuff. This is all over the kingdom by now, and the territories Charioce is, ahem, annexing. I used to work for the general industry, got caught selling the material, and voila, now I'm doing the same job except here." Rachel gave a half hearted wave around the hall. "It's not a living, but it's a life. So lemme introduce you to how we shit."

Nina's team was herself, Jeanne, Rachel and three other women. They stationed around a kiln, ready to follow the instructions of the hallmaster. This one wasn't a prisoner, but a middle aged guy in sterile but clean robes. They were to load material into the kiln and take it out on times indicated.

Each kiln had a main door, which blazed with heat and had to be opened with a hook. On the sides of the kiln were ladders leading to smaller hatches atop. At the wall of the hall stood barrels and crates full of strange smelling things that radiated weaker power. Nina got to see only some of it. Metals, a little gold, lead, all poured in through the small hatches. Every time they opened, the hallmaster cast a spell that ignited magic circles over the holes. The material always had to go through those.

She didn't catch any names from the other women. Only Rachel spoke to her, introducing her to the basics like what bucket to use for what, which materials not to touch.

Nina got a newbie job in carrying buckets to the kiln for now. Others levied them into the holes, while Rachel used a metal clasp to carefully lay clear crystals onto a long plate before the kiln. It had holes to hold the crystals, which another woman filled with smelly, bitter water until they were submerged.

"What does this make?" Nina asked.

"Matter for the task force and the slave collars, though I don't think ours goes into either. It gets shipped to the center of the island, rather than outside," Rachel said. "You have to treat it with utmost care or von List _visits_."

Within minutes all the plates in the hall were full, and the team team leaders shoved them into the kiln. The squad leaders shut the doors and everyone backed off to the walls, where they stood as far from the heat as possible. Nina had a place between Jeanne and Rachel, and dared to whisper, "What's it doing?"

"Brewing. I don't know much of the facts, just the mechanics. The hard part is when we have to get them out," Rachel said. "They're pretty hot, so be careful."

Green light emenating from the pyramid pulsed through lines on the floor. Within the kilns, the plates started spinning around by some mechanism while sigils in the wall glowed harsher.

Waiting for it to be done took long. Nina's legs started to hurt, and she wasn't the only one getting fidgety. Most leaned back against the rough walls eventually, but nobody dared to move or sit down.

When the glow faded at last, everyone moved away from the walls right away, up the ladders to fish out what they'd put it. All material had grown smaller than before, like corroded away and full of holes. These bits were deposited in buckets that were to be emptied in the trolleys.

The woman on the ladder above Nina started coughing when she got a face full of smoke. She stumbled to the ground, where she nearly went through her legs. Blackened blood poured from her mouth.

Nina almost dropped her bucket, only for Jeanne to catch it. As soon as Jeanne had hold, Nina was at the woman's side. Another wave of black blood came out. Nina steadied her by the shoulders and helped her sit down against the kiln.

Why wasn't anyone else moving into help? Jeanne approached, holding both their buckets and seemingly wanting to set them down, but that was it.

"What's the matter? Are you—" A whip cracked on the ground next to them.

"Get back to work!" the guard snarled.

Though she still coughed, the woman struggled to her feet and rushed back up the ladder.

The guard glared at Nina. "Never let go of your material without permission. Nothing touches the ground, got it?"

Another glare went at Jeanne, who held out Nina's bucket in silence.

Work moved on in silence. It was nothing like the construction job, full of jokes and laughter. There was however some sense of camaraderie. Noting Nina's curiosity, during a quiet moment where Rachel explained something about the gold bars, she rolled up her tatted sleeves to reveal her arm. Bit of green rocks were embedded in her skin, the source of her affliction. Like they were new hearts forced onto a human.

"Don't worry on the black stuff. It's better to avoid angering the guards, and it isn't that bad anyway. This stuff eats you if you use it, but it also makes us stronger," she said. "I lasted for six years, you know."

"Does it hurt?" Nina asked.

Rachel nodded. "Just a little. It's better than dying. Still, try not to get too much on you. The coughing's where it gets bad. It gets to the heart."

"What do the doctors say?"

"What doctors? If you become useless here, you get to be ashes. That's where Margareth went."

"I'll be careful," she said with a wide smile, while something in the back of her head screamed that Chris couldn't be like this.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Dammit, Rita was a damsel in distress now. Two centuries in charge, having escaping damsely demise back then, only to end up prisoner in some tyrant's castle. This was all Azazel's fault. Again. Bring in some wild cards at the last minute, will you? Athos had just walked in, told her to evacuate, and pulled her on a wyvern before she could make her zombie guard react. Just like that, her schedule had gone to hell and left her behind.

Athos now escorted her up the palace, deep into the private quarters, like some color inversion of the final walk. They passed through emptied servant routes up until the secret door to a ludicrously rich room. Athos shoved her inside and closed the door.

All irritation aside, she had some interest in the king, and he seemed to have one in her. As she stood here, she got a hunch why.

Fog hung over the place and the window stood open, the only thing a little off about it all. The man didn't have a single personal trait in his entire living space. Perhaps something personal was hidden in the closets, but everything in the open looked exactly like every other room she'd seen so far. Ornate and sterile.

Someone sat at the crackling hearth, a frail ticking sound coming from it. Since nothing else stirred, Rita walked up to it.

Rounding the wide chair, there wasn't _anyone_ in it : just a zombie knitting.

Her eyes fell on the other chair, which also had an occupant. A blond man in fine gray clothes, unruly short hair and piercing golden eyes under weird eyebrows that gave Kaisar's hair a run for their money on eccentricity.

"Charioce XVII, I presume?" she said.

"Indeed." Measured, precise, and he managed not to blink once while he spoke. He slouched in the chair, but as he stood up every motion was controlled so well, one might mistake it for smooth. This man lived calculating every moment. "Your name?"

"Rita will do."

He turned his eyes to the fire. "Do you burn?"

"I do easier than demons, less easy than humans," she said. "Or did you ask whether your friend here burns?"

He smiled just a little. "It is not my friend. In fact, I want to know what it actually is."

To Rita's eyes it was only a zombie so decayed, it gulped up extra magic just to remain upright. Under the fog it would be acting out the script of its past life without being able to take any action truly independent. Only an astral imprint on time pasted onto its old flesh source. Most remarkable about it was the fact that Charioce kept it.

"Who was the corpse?"

"Klarimiani Pözltas."

"Are you going to make me point out the dodge, or what?"

"She was my mother."

Well, well. How fluffy. Rita liked to mess with wicked things, and this was quite the weakness he had just revealed.

"Let's play, your majesty," she said. "We are well aware that I will be eliminated once I cease to be of use, and you are keen on secrets yourself, are you not? Let's say I spin you a story of resurrection manifest through zombies and fog, and you find out it is a lie in part. You may just destroy me when I might be of use yet. Why would I not answer with either the truth, or a satisfying lie?"

"So there's an _unsatisfying_ answer you can give me?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I've met you mere minutes ago. You're quite the enigma : such a meticulous murderer of demons, yet your mother revived by arcane means you keep around. You might have a weakness, or you might be pretending to have a weakness to entice me to let loose, or you are only interested for practical reasons, or you are pretending to yourself there is no weakness. You don't know me either, nor what I might say, brew or conjure to ensure my relative survival."

Charioce could be commended for his poker face. "I suppose for now we are at a stalemate over a simple answer."

"Don't be silly. You wouldn't be able to justify keeping me alive _just_ for your nostalgia. Might as well get a move on it." If he didn't have an excuse yet, he'd find one soon.

"Well then, perhaps I should stop playing and eliminate you."

Admittance he had no other reasons, or drawing the time out? She left the seconds hanging as she stared at the fire too. She didn't want to burn, but she didn't want to submit either. Pretending to submit on the other hand?

He let the silence go on longer until he said at last, "I have stolen a thing or two from heaven. I would like her back, but better than this. A life must be lived for a goal, then it can be thrown away," he said. "My mother has yet to achieve hers, I would like her to have that chance. There is enough magic that knows what she was like, locked onto that thing. I want it to live."

He offered her a job, in a way. Figure out how to revive. Rita had never been able to work with divine magic, she might have said yes out of curiosity. Of course, she did not expect Charioce to gamble on that.

"No doubt you have an or else somewhere. Spill it already."

"I have someone of yours," he said. "After all, if you cared for money alone you would have offered your services already."

Ah. Had Athos heard her talk about Kaisar being spared? She could point out she had enough to believe that before the disastrous rebellion, she would've just been killed for offering exactly that. She kept her face blank, and he filled it in.

"Two, perhaps. Let's focus on the one in my dungeon."

"Let's," she said. "I suppose you have a way to kill him too, harvested from heaven?"

"I do, but that's not his only use. He regenerates in ways ordinary demons do not, but more organically than gods. You've tended to him for years. That means two things for me : one that you have a stake to lose, and two that you are not unfamiliar with arcane doctoring. We're going see what you can do with the right tools and the right pressure."

Rita looked back at him now. Still that some inpenetrable look, which she could readily answer with her own. All demons could regenerate, in theory, but it took time and specific situations. He didn't have to know that.

"Alright. I will oblige with your experiments. For now."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Gabriel had determined a strict schedule for El. Purification every few hours, lessons on divine matters to catch nur up and lessons on how to use magic. There nary was a free moment, so even as Sofiel was in charge of seeing El through much of the day、 she had difficulty finding time to speak. She learned things only in small bursts, such as El having been unable to withdrawn nur wings for hiding, a love for music and a general distaste for war stories. Gabriel was fond of telling the latter now that El had been determined to need to spirit. She usually told them, as she joined them during dinner, her efforts to instill sacred duty in El unfaltering.

This evening however Gabriel was absent, to Sofiel's unspoken relief. She had gone to arrange a matter with a few loyal human cities on earth, to prepare for the aftermath of overthrowing Charioce.

El had already laid down on the cushions at the low table, but didn't eat yet. After briefly informing nur and the wait staff Gabriel would not join them, she laid down on her side and stretched her wings to rest. Not that tending to El was that exhausting physically, but it left her with constant anxiety. El wouldn't remain safe for long, already being geared up for war when ne needed so much to still learn. Laying at a table, being allowed to eat as much as ne wanted, having so much choices. Once ne got over the need to be sparing with food, ne tried everything new, of which there was aplenty for another few months. This child Gabriel wanted to send to the forefront of a war.

Sofiel always had pen and paper ready, and a small table between the long cushions to write on. El was usually occupied with the food first, trying everything new, but the papers never went unused. Usually this was just to respond to Gabriel, and ask when and how they would rescue nur mother. The answer always was when ne was purified so Gabriel could regrow nur wings and they'd see the rest later. After a few days El stopped asking that, and went for other things.

Gabriel's absence was a relief not only to Sofiel. Today, El wrote down two letters and showed it to her.

"Ne?" Sofiel asked. "Oh! Right, humans recognize only two, but there are more. I picked up otherwise from you before, I suppose it may be different now you're more self aware. Human society is so backward, really, I wouldn't be surprised there are complications."

El looked curious, so she continued, "According to my senses, you're a dusiu, and will grow up to be a dwoe, like boys grow up to be men and girls grow up to be women."

Next ne wrote about how much was different in heaven and why nur mother didn't know any of it? Good question. Heaven hadn't really communicated much with her on anything divine, though the historical records mentioned some kind of initial turmoil. Michael had needed to make a few personal appearances because being a woman, Jeanne wasn't taken very serious by certain human institutions. They hadn't kept track of Jeanne at all, after Michael's death.

El gave her another line, which clarified that ne already knew there were more than two gender, but wanted to know how everyone knew what ne was, because both nur mother and someone named Rita had concluded boy, but they only knew two.

"Dusiu in early stages tend to resemble boys, though you already have a little of the wider hips. I suppose it will be difficult to determine what truly changes once you transform, because you have no spoken for ..." For how long anyway? He ne become mute right away or only later? The scorch marks on nur neck could be from anything. Oh, all these gaps. She wished Gabriel was a little more interested in El personally. "Anyway, you might notice a few changes about yourself once you transform, other than just the return of your wings. We gods can regenerate to our true form at all times, you see. Your human heritage will not get in the way further."

And who was that person who had told El? Not likely a human. El had been hanging out with demons, perhaps they also recognized more than two genders? She had no idea what their culture was like, and some blasphemous part of her wanted to know. Weeks in the city had shown her a side to demons other than the snarling darkness of legend — they weren't all beasts barely contained by chains. They weren't more than she'd expect of humans in chains. Even Azazel came across as very annoying more so than a cluster of incoherent malice. That last one should tip of her off of unwarranted pity, but still, she wanted to know more.

Such questions were completely unwarranted of heaven, of course. At least, El was a safe avenue.

"There's a big difference between our worlds, I believe. I would love to learn of your life on earth if you would allow me." She pushed a few papers closer to El with the tip of her fingers. "Write as much as you like."

El didn't smile much, so Sofiel felt pleased that she managed to cheer El up enough with such a small request.

For all that El had no voice, ne poured out words.

El had been born with all of language within nur mind, in a body about three years old. Ne knew who nur mother was and nothing else. Early life had been happy for them, with Jeanne often telling nur that ne brought back the color to her drab life. Ne went on at length on that life, on farming, on what they did to deal with the seasons, on the animals and the spirits El attracted.

Jeanne had been the center of nur life as much as El doubtlessly had been hers. For El, that simple cottage was paradise. What little ne had to remark on it was things like bed times and not being able to make spirit nests inside. That went in exchange for nur mother taking nur on adventures in the forest to gather food, carving wooden toys, saving up for clothes and many small challenges like that. Things like making needles out of bones had never even occurred to Sofiel, who had known only the luxury. In heaven weaving happened by magic or machine.

Sometimes there were stories of Jeanne's heroic actions as a knight, but only rarely and to instill understand of the gravitas of war. El liked stories of the spirits much better, and would often venture into the woods to befriend them. So they did, and El learned to find food for nurself and nur mother — it stung Sofiel a little to know Jeanne had been starving; how could heaven just forget their chosen one? No doubt Gabriel would regret falling out of touch _now_ , but then she had not.

Sofiel had ended up on Jeanne's farm out in the city by following the dim sense of holiness, mistaking it for a fellow god who might help her open a gate to heaven. It had been a somber place, stone and old wood, but to El it had been the world, and ne described it as warm and comfortable. And lost, once the Onyx Knights arrived.

How would it have unfolded if El hadn't right then and there manifested the ability to shut down their power? Sofiel had been cramped in a closet at the time, hearing only as they hit Jeanne across the room, demanding Sofiel's whereabouts. Choked noises and then a flare of El's power went through the very fabric of the world. The Onyx Knights had changed priorities to chasing them down.

El's story had shorter sentences here. Jeanne had stolen one of their horses and raced off, trying to find a hiding place in the city — no doubt they would be caught in the barren wilderness of the forest. El had almost passed out, ne wouldn't have been able to repeat it.

The city had been lit with flares, the shadows no longer their friends. They had crawled into an alley's window, broken open by nur mother's strength. It was a slaver's den, where they amputated the demons of their wings before sale. Countless corpses, which El was afraid they'd be added to once the Onyx Knights found them.

In order to hide El among the demon slaves, Jeanne had cursed her own child. She had taken a scissor and rammed it in a demon's corpse. Over and over, until the blood poured like it did with no human. Lifting the corpse, she had scattered it over El. It turned nur hair gray and dimmed nur's holy radiance, before the decision to ...

Jeanne herself had cut off El's wings.

By now El's hand had started shaking. Sofiel took the quil and pulled El closer, letting nur cry out on her shoulder. She tried to soothe nur without really knowing how. Perhaps all ne needed was the chance to cry, but that could hardly be enough to remedy this pain. Nothing to take it away.

Ne should have the chance to be a child, but that thought wasn't supposed to be happening. El was their savior, sent by Michael to take down their enemy, right?

El let go of her and smiled, but it seemed pained. Ne hesitated to continue writing, to her understanding. Slavery or not, it wouldn't have been a good life from there on.

The doors opened and in came Gabriel. "El, are you done? Good, come now."

Really? She couldn't just let the schedule slip for one day? No, shouldn't think that. Don't let needless hostility grow.

Sofiel stood up and inclined her head. "Lady Sofiel, if you would permit us some more time, please? El has finally opened up about the past events."

"Oh, never mind. El has classes now, perhaps learning how to express power better will speed up recovery. I would prefer El to be ready for war before Charioce raids yet another sanctuary."

Gabriel urged El to dry nur tears and ushered nur out of the room, to the waiting scholars. El hadn't even finished eating.

If all that had happened to El was some basic demon blood that made nur hard to track, then maybe Gabriel was a little too particular about the purification. Perhaps El nurself would be able to dispell whatever magic got in the way of nur's regeneration, if it wasn't human heritage altogether. Not that Gabriel was interested enough to find that out, and Sofiel didn't dare break the topic with her. It wouldn't lead to anything anyway.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel knew what every single tool in this room did and how to best use it. He probably knew better than them how to use it, and he certainly knew better about security. They were wrong about the snakes he could conjure, but what would the point of resisting be? They'd just replace anyone he with others and he'd waste his energy on nothing, like usual.

"This could all be over if you just named a few of your allies. Their true names, of course. We'll have a nice summoning party after that and then you'll have mates in your lovely new home."

For all his humiliation, he had just enough pride left to point that out. "That's not very enticing to make me talk."

"Well, of course we're going to handle you demons as the filth you are, but I'm sure you have more than just demonic allies. Ordinary citizens normally don't even know when the king leaves. Not all warships have him, you see. So, you had to have insiders whom would fall under human law. I simply thought we'd start simple and then move on to the complicated things."

He'd had the information of Amira's whereabouts, and he'd had the knwledge of how dangerous Jeanne was. He'd messed that up too. If he had no wasted time with Favaro and Kaisar, he could have had Amira in his grasp and escaped without problem. Just go the other direction from where Jeanne was. Now Mugaro was the child of Jeanne d'Arc. Morbid angles provided more ways the future could've gone wrong — he could have stuck close to Pazuzu, maybe they would have won if they'd taken her on together. Mugaro wouldn't even exist.

Jeanne had been the beginning of his downfall. From there on, it was degradation only. Even if he fooled himself, the fight with Belzebuth had ended because Bahamut hit him with a blast, he'd only finished the job — Belzebuth was his kill, but the chance for victory won had vanished in Bahamut's breath. He couldn't truly win, like he once had.

Between tightening the screw that dug into his side, the torturer droned on about things like the bomb, the gas, their set up, the location of their base. It didn't matter. The one way he could make things worse was by betraying those who might have escaped still.

A break came when Charioce's silhouette apepared in the doorway, followed by ... _Rita_?

Flanked by his guards, Charioce stopped before him. Rita wasn't chained and half behind him.

Azazel tried to push spite into his voice, but it came out nothing but hoarse. "Did you sell out at last?"

"Don't be ridiculous. We simply have a bit of a hostage situation," Rita said. "He doesn't have _much_ use for you, so you're in no position to complain."

What the ...

"Are you out of your mind?"

Rita shrugged. "He has a use for me too, so this is really redundant. Either way, let's get this over with, I don't care and won't start anytime soon."

"Or you might just let me think this does not bother you," Charioce said. "That could be a ruse, so I won't increase the torture."

Rita cast a dead look over Azazel. "You've got little left to increase. Well, if you feel like dishing on him so you won't dish on me, go ahead. He'll regenerate, and that's why we're here. Cut the chase already."

Charioce nodded at the torturer, who apparently had been instructed before. The torturer muttered something about a waste of sensitive limbs, but that didn't slow him down. He stepped forward with an sword, tore loose the wires and janked his black arm free. Azazel clenched his teeth as the sword cut into his joint. It didn't detach so easily at a mere human's strength.

"My sincerest apoligies, your majesty, the black stuff is tough," the torturer said. "Any time now."

After four more chops, his lower arm fell into the torturer's hand. He brought it before Charioce.

"Do it," Charioce told Rita.

She shrugged. "It's on your head if this goes wrong."

Rita slowly drew a sigil on the floor, stood up, placed the tip of her umbrella on one of the core points and said, "Put that in the center."

The same was done to his other arm. Rita left the spell on the first to brew and stood sideways. She locked eyes with Azazel for a second, then bit down.

Nothing happened with the lost flesh. Azazel's bones already started regrowing, but it would be a few days before the arm was whole again. A few days without the wires. They'd just invent something else. He knew he had, when need called for creativity.

Moments passed. Azazel sensed it before the black hand moved. Within a blink, black snakes exploded from it, only to be contained by a shield of green power hijacking Rita's circle. The snakes lashed against the inside, impervious to pain, while the arm at the center boiled and expanded. Hard shapes pushed against the thick skin from the inside, like an insect crawling out of its pupa. Horns broke through skin, like the two horns he had lost, but they were attached to a beastly skull.

Emerging was a malformed goat, black and hairless with jutting extensions and glowing white eyes. The skin was tight on the skeleton, not unlike a zombie, but it didn't rot.

Azazel forgot the pain, just for a moment, and stared along with everyone else.

In that moment, the white hand tore out of Rita's grip and launched at Charioce, exploding into black serpents too. Hindered by the guard, Charioce had just enough time to surround himself with a sphere. The serpents relentlessly attacked it, while the arm began to mutate too.

"Stop it!" Charioce commanded Rita.

"I can't!"

Two Onyx Knights tore the blob into a force field of their own and closed it in, until the serpents vaporized and the flesh burst into green fire. That done, Charioce lowered his shield.

"I thought you would be smarter than this," Charioce told Rita.

"You thought right, these things are independent from me."

"It rather felt like an assassination attempt, and we knew he cannot do what you just did. You might have been counting freeing him for help," he said.

"In that shape? You have your knights, you have a dragon and you have Merlin. What's easier to accept, that I'm a stupid genius, or that I — and independent zombie controlled by no one — might be right about some zombies being independent?"

Leave it to Rita to hold down a glaring contest with Charioce, and have him turn his eyes away just a fraction before she did. Even Rita had more success against Charioce than he was.

"Arrange the other one to be moved to another hall. We may have a use for it yet," Charioce said.

"Got one for me too?" Rita asked.

"Of course. We might not be able to do much with a demon's blood, but it _is_ useful to know you can create independent life."

He stalked out the dungeon without another look at either. Rita cast a last, unreadable look at Azazel before a guard pushed her along.

Whatever Charioce tried to brew, it would fall apart without Rita eventually. She could just escape, she was smart enough. If she didn't, Azazel might have her life on his conscience too, more than he already did.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The Lidfard housekeeper appeared every morning to clean the sheets and bring breakfast. The friendliness the woman paid Belphegor when having no idea of her demonic nature was both welcome and unpleasant, the latter because she knew it wouldn't exist if not for the fog. Company meant prattling a lot about her family, her work for Kaisar, and the worries she had about anyone seeing her here — out came the assurances she personally had no issue with sex workers but the stain it'd be on the Lidfard reputation, you see. She didn't want that to happen to Kaisar again, the poor sod, as she called him. Belphegor bit down her tongue every time to force a smile and agree, promising she'd be ever so careful not to taint his name. Calling him a savior felt off.

She had her coat hidden in a closet where the housekeeper didn't reach, while her regular clothes had been washed. She'd accepted dress shifts after the first night. Changing clothes was the most momentous event of the day.

Left was laying around in excruciating boredom, and boredom made her dwell on dead faces. She tried to force her thoughts towards plans instead. Big things like rebellion were unrealistic, but escaping the city might not be. The question was whether she'd go to Cerberus or the underground first to see whether who still lived.

On the third day, she asked for something to do. The housekeeper brought her a few things to do with her hands and was pleased to find Belphegor could stitch — she'd learned this ages ago because both cloth and wounds could use it. Making artistic patterns wasn't her thing, but it was new and distracting, so she took that on.

Kaisar took four days since she'd last seen him to make another appearance. By then, Belphegor had built up enough frustration so her first words were more snappy than intended. "And look who remembered I exist."

"I, uh, have been busy. We're getting a lot of new people to make up for the losses."

Ah, training new people to keep hers in line. The only thing she wanted to know about that was how many soldiers and knights her friends had managed to kill. Not that they'd made even so much as a dent.

"I brought some pain killers from the royal doctors, though I don't know whether they will work on demons." He put a green glass bottle on the bedstand. The goo inside smelled herbal and bitter, but not foul in the way the cheaper medicines of the slums or red light district did. He'd probably spend a lot of money on this. The juxtaposition between this and giving his knights directions to kill her fellows struck hard.

"Can you stop?"

He frowned in confusion.

"The pretense," she said. "This, all of this. Me, here."

"Why are you upset? You're at least alive!"

"What do you want me to do? Lay here full of gratefullness and amazement that you spared me? You killed my friends all around me."

"It was my job. What was I supposed to do? I'd just be killed along with them if I refused."

She knew that and she hated it.

"Your people have also killed my people, in an attack you started," he said. "That's why I was gone for so long without checking in. Countless of our knights died!'

"Go ahead, tell me more about how we chose to be enslaved and slaughtered. Those countless knights of yours were keeping us from our freedom! All we want is to _go home_! But even if we did escape, there is no home to go to! You know what it's like to lose everyone, right? There's nobody else in this mansion but you. Imagine that, for a whole nation."

He clenched his hands. "I know it well enough. But you—"

"I what? Wasn't nice enough to the people trying to kill me? We did too much hating?" His eyes widened at that, and she continued. "Some of the women that night joined the rebellion, so I have some idea about you sound. Well guess what, I didn't start this hatred, nor can I stop it by ceasing to hate. It would just keep me a sheep, a thing that lets humans take it. I'll be taken anyway, be it for pleasure, or in your case soothing your conscience. That's all I'm here for, isn't it? I'd be dead on the street with the rest otherwise."

"No! Believe it or not, I would prefer there to be no bloodshed at all. I saw a chance to save you and I knew you wouldn't start a fight here, so that's one life I managed to save. I would prefer more, but that is not possible as of now."

"Oh, it is all? You _could_ have let that dragon kill the king. You could have helped us get to the king, the other day. You could get close enough to poison him, or detonate one of my bombs. You could give me the material to replicate the one from the doctor's mansion. It's not possible though, because you don't want to."

He looked away, either a bit ashamed or convincing himself he was.

"Now I'm in the middle of the upper ring when I'm wanted. I'll probably be safer than elsewhere, but only as long as I don't leave. I bet there's more patrols in the upper ring than down below, right?"

"Yes."

She lay back and covered her eyes with an arm. Below her anger lay fear. What they would do if they caught her, and whether Kaisar would not sell her out when the fire got too hot under his feet. "Can you give me an idea what will happen if anyone, your housekeeper or otherwise, catches wind you hide a demon here?"

"The Onyx Knights are likely to storm the place. Maybe I could get you the materials for the bomb that just knocks people out."

Maybe. She'd had to see it first.

Kaisar said, "And please, try the medicine. If it doesn't work I'll find something else."

He walked out, pausing as if to speak again but deciding against it. Like he didn't know what to make of this situation. That sentiment she shared, at least.

Nothing was simple. Cerberus protected a number of people but was more than willing to literary sell people out to preserve her domain, and she didn't take risks for others. Azazel had looked like a straight forward savior for a while, until his intentions with humankind were thrown in doubt while he did things like assault Nina and the reveal of his past conduct towards humans. Even Nina, for all her sweetness, had somehow spared Charioce.

Kaisar was another complication like that. The guy went from abducting her to helping out to killing her fellow rebels but sparing her, and now had her in his house. He probably wasn't pretending when he was helpful, at least not to her. But neither was he pretending to serve the man who enslaved and annihilated her people.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus hated her house being crowded, but it couldn't be helped. What was she supposed to do, sell'em to the knight and get a bad reputation? Or sell them to worse? She had room and the miserable lot knew how to be small and quiet, but her privacy was gone.

Delphyne knocked on the door during business hours today. Couldn't be good.

"In," Cerberus said.

Delphyne's heads, main and snakes alike, peaked in. "You've been requested. A rich customer. Suspiciously so. Never saw him before, but he's a pretty strong figure. Smell healthy too, so maybe you'll have fun."

"Pssst. No work talk up here," she said with a nod at Bel's lot, who huddled in a corner playing cards. "Some of these got the phases."

"Oh. I see, sorry."

She followed Delphyne down, but didn't get further than halfway the attic stairs.

The stood at the bottom of the stairs, cloaked up. Only a dim smile was visible below the hood. They were a human, but that's all she could smell about them.

Cerberus bypassed Delphyne's tail and blocked the way. "What do you want?"

They lowered their hood to reveal a kinda androgynous face, but otherwise pretty bland. What was unusual was the hand they held up. On it a purple circle glowed, the writing tiny.

Aw crap, that was a seal of a dark angel. Pretty new, she didn't recognize it, or at least someone who had never been to Styx.

"We talk upstairs." She waved Delphyne off and let the person into the room.

"So, what do you want?"

"Possibilities to explore." The voice wasn't androgynous so much as garbled and mixed. Weird.

"You gotta give me more than that."

The human looked around until their eyes fell on the largest of the refugees. Arachna spent her days cooped up in a corner, quietly spinning useless things. Now she looked up and probably would've liked to turn into the tiny spider that the fog made her appear as.

"Arachna, right? Come over here," the guest said. "By oath of hell, step forth."

Reluctant and quiet, Arachna took a few steps closer.

"Spin me a thread."

Arachna cast a pleading look at Cerberus, but Cerberus had nothing. Go on, do it.

Wordless, Arachna tipped her lower body forward and wove. The visitor delicately took it and set it on fire. It turned to drifting ashes at once.

"Excellent. The lady Olivia would have your services," they said. "Cerberus, we would be obliged if you inform us where the mayor, the doctors, and the socialites of Anatae live."

"I can get you that information, but what's it for?"

"You shall see," they said. "Please prepare a worthy place for the arrival of the lady Olivia."

 **· · · · · · ·**

As the days passed, the fog grew thicker, and the mirage of his mother got every single detail right. He might be able to spin a logical reason for keeping this thing intact too, just to see where the mirage got the informations to instruct the zombie. He could, but he didn't call for Chabrol to figure it out.

She—it was so glad to learn he was the king, and that it was back in the castle to live in luxury. It feasted on rotten dishes and scraps as if it was royal food, it called the names of long gone and it could have conversations with him in the same ways as his true mother had. His mentor, his carer, his very first advisor.

In that way, it was also useful one as a sounding board. At the evenings, it sat at the heart and knitted. It would talk to him about the day, complain about not being able to leave, and want to know all about how he did. Most of the time it spoke in ways as expected, and was able to repeat advice from the past, but sometimes it didn't feel like enough. He couldn't always tell where the fog failed, or where his memory did.

It came to the point where he brought up a personal thing. "What if I told you I met a girl?"

"What if indeed? I would have a lot of questions, but you don't tell me enough."

"I met a girl. She is a dragon, and my enemy. I locked her in the labor camp, where she will die once I rise Dromos in its full glory. What do you think?"

The mirage hesitated for a long moment before saying, "That's wonderful, dear."

Ridiculous. If anything was a charade, this thing here was.

But then she said, "Do you _know_ your enemy?"

Oh. A very good charade. It wasn't what his real mother would have said, if she lived still, but it was nevertheless put his mind on track.

Nina was a simple girl, who had her doubts already on the righteousness of the demons. She hadn't gone off track until running into Azazel. No one ever might have known she was a dragon if not for that. A child, who only wanted to be a child. Nina was easy to understand.

"Do you know whom to drive out, and whom to kill?" the thing with his mother's voice continued. "Because remember, we are one nation under the sun, we cannot be divided from _within_."

Common words to her, but now they took on a terrible context. He had always thought it was the gods and demons alone that had to have their filthy fingers pried out of the earth. But within him now lay a wish to fall into the arms of a half blood,

Perhaps she wasn't the real enemy he stood face to face with. It was his own desire.

It wasn't that he wanted her for himself. He didn't even know what he wanted about her, really. There wasn't a good reason for his heart to speed up at the sight of her, to get get lost in her thrall. There was no rationale on emotions, no matter how much he tried to force it. Self indulgance was at work.

"What do you think I should do with her?"

"Invite her home, introduce us, and let us find out how well she fits with the family."

"I cannot do that, she is our enemy."

"Then why does she live?"

Chris closed his eyes and wondered what he even hoped to achieve? _I'm in love with the enemy lingered on his tongue_ , but he didn't say it.

Not that it mattered. He had thrown aside so many things. The early waves of guilt had burned to shreds until nothing bothered him anymore, and he could do the same with these simple flares of romance. It would just take some time, starting with ridding himself of this thing, and soon he wouldn't need the zombie master anymore either, and then he could see whether he wasn't keeping any of them alive because of Nina. Because of what base humanity she tore him down to when he should be a greater human, a giant spirit amongst men.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The dungeons were always filled with cries since before Charioce XVII took place. There had been a brief lapse with XVI, before he'd been assinated, otherwise it was practice to get as much information as possible. Most of the time, nothing useful was produced.

He'd never agreed with it and vehemently clung to that and he wanted better ... but he had to admit now this didn't send him into the same anger as when he'd seen it done to Amira. He'd never really been able to imagine her as a demon or even a thief, so she'd been a lady, and that was much easier to unite with her being an angel too. Rita had said she was both angel and demon, but that hadn't meant much, when she was the way she was. And Rita had been a child, so impossible to kill when unlike Favaro, he had proof of her deception and malice at that time.

Why he sought out Azazel now, he couldn't tell himself.

The official reason he had given to go down here was to retrieve a sample of a monster, so the new recruits would be able to train on something interest and fresh — the other powerful demons were either dead already or reserved for the arena, and they weren't risking transporting one to the castle now.

The monster was somehow sprung from Azazel, blood brought to life by Rita's magic. They kept it in a hall next to Azazel. The thing was black, leathery and goat like, with serpents ghosting around it. It lay nailed to the floor with massive pins. Smaller cages stood around it, contained already harvested miniatures that didn't grow well.

Dias being such a massive man, he'd be able to carry two. Kaisar planned to carry one as well, but his attention was on the other hall.

"Dias, take three out, alone. I have to go see him."

"Are you sure?" Dias asked. "It's gonna do our reputation no good if our captain's cozying up with demons, regardless of your medal."

"If the guards ask where I am, tell them I'm confronting my father's killer. It should be no problem, the king is already aware of my situation."

There were no guards at the torture hall's last door, because the only ones able to resist him were the Onyx Knights. There was a shortage of them, as there were of regular soldiers — a shortage that would increase of Azazel in an aggressive mood decided to send out his serpents.

Kaisar stepped into the cold room, which was lit only with pale, teal light. Azazel was at the center, hanging from a metal frame on wired hooked through his shoulders and back. His arms had been torn off. By now the flesh had grown shut, but a pool of purple blood remained.

Equally broken was his pride. When Azazel looked up Kaisar could see hopelessness. Nothing seemed left of the arrogant demon he'd met on the Gregor.

Before Kaisar could figure out what exactly he wanted to say, Azazel said, "Kill me."

When a decade ago he'd set up Azazel for Jeanne's attack, even as he fell to his death, Kaisar had owned the moment. Azazel was not his father's killer, not even a bounty hunter, just a devil. That's what he'd decided, because _devils were lower than any other being_. He hadn't ever imagined life would lead him to a point where this same demon was strapped down in that same castle, practically begging for death. Even if he had still cared for the vow of revenge on the graves of his parents, this wouldn't have cut it.

"There's no need for you to die. Listen, lady Belphegor survived and Favaro is around too. They'll find a way to break you out."

"Are you all insane?" Azazel spat. His voice came out hoarse. "Kill me already!"

"No."

Azazel took in a deep breath and a single black snake manifested before him. It shot at Kaisar to wrap around his neck.

"Kill me, or I'll kill you."

"If you still wanted to kill me, you would have done it years ago," Kaisar choked out. "And if you really wanted to die, you'd have used this snake this grab that blade over there, or anything else."

Azazel closed his eyes. The snake tightened around his throat, but when Kaisar didn't so much as move, it let go and vaporized.

"They're all dead because you kept Charioce alive. Another chance. Every day you give him another chance and my people die," Azazel said in an utterly broken voice.

" _You_ deserved that chance," Kaisar said.

"You never were in a position to give me a chance. You would die at my power whether or not you'd set up Jeanne to land a blow. You were more than willing to see me dead during the one choice you had, and you were right. Tell, knight, how your bloody crown is any different from me? Other than it being _your_ kingdom."

"It is not like that!" It broke out and would have carried him away — how dare he imply ... how dare he ... if ... No, he wasn't going to give into this. He could understand why Azazel and Belphegor were angry, but he wouldn't fall to senseless hatred again. He'd come too close to killing Favaro, too many times, to allow that to happen again. "I want there to be peace between the three tribes. It has to be better than before, and it will be if we all just set aside our differences. I'm sure we can all come to that point, sooner or later."

"Better? It's worse now. If you want better, than let that chance exist and save my people. Kill Charioce."

"Azazel, death won't solve any of this, on either side," he said, but the words came out with less conviction than he wanted.

The demon's face drew into such hatred, it struck Kaisar for the first time Azazel had never really hated him before. As sadistic and contemptuous as he'd been, it had only been personal within the confines of the game. Azazel and his old toys. _This_ was hatred, and no matter how much Kaisar would reason, the base instincts told him to run.

Worse than that drive what what Azazel said next, "Tell the dead about those chances you're giving them."

Kaisar couldn't answer this, didn't want to. He didn't need the foundations of his honor and pride a knight shaken. Not now.

When he met up with Dias, he grabbed a cage and rushed out of the dungeon. Dias didn't ask anything but the concern was clear enough. Maybe he was right, this would taint the honor of the knights if anyone heard what he'd said back there. Pity for a demon? Criminal.

The things in the cage writhed and shrieked.

The way things were, he couldn't tell whether sparing Azazel was mercy, or killing him would have been. He wanted to avoid as much death as possible, as a good knight should, yet he was about to use Azazel's survival to teach his people to kill demons.

It would only be dangerous demons, he told himself. There weren't much dangerous demons left, he knew better.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar's hairs weren't perfectly coifed for once, there actually were stray hairs. "You look gloomier than usual, captain."

"I visited Azazel today," he said.

"And?"

Kaisar took a chair and sat in it, forward as he stared at the ground. "He wanted me to kill him."

Across the years, Belphegor had known more than a few demons who had killed themselves to escape their misery. That Azazel would be one of them seemed absurd, but then again, her initial impressions of him hadn't been the whole picture.

Regardless, she had to do something despite this infernal injury. Anything. Kaisar looked very much like he wanted to say more, but she wasn't up for it. Not this topic.

"Is your housekeeper gone?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm going to walk around." She gently lowered her legs to the ground and increased pressure on it, ignoring Kaisar's remarks on staying in bed.

The muscles were stiff and painful, but if she shifted weight on the wall she could stand without crying out. Pain must've shown on her face though, as Kaisar got into her personal space. Just to support her by her arm, but she dropped back on the bed and glared at him.

He gave her space and she tried again, working her way step through step. It did no wonders for her broken bones, but she _had_ to move, had to do something, or she was left with dying faces in her mind.

Kaisar trailed after her.

"Go to bed, I won't steal anything."

"I don't actually sleep here. I must be available at all times at the castle, so I am in the knight quarters," he said. "Currently I am on a break with Dias in charge."

In other words, he was just here to see her. If he felt guilty, she'd have liked a more concrete expression than fretting over her walking around, but she wasn't going to make a point of it as long as he didn't hand her over. If she wasn't quite sympathetic enough anymore, maybe he'd get rid of her. She hadn't figured out the jumble of his standards, but it probably hung up on conditional chivalry.

The rooms were typical up here. Bedrooms, some kind of sparring room, some kind of foyer and ... ooh, a library. Now that was a pleasant, distracting surprise. She staggered in and sat in the nearest chair, trying to catch her breath. She'd have to make a proper crutch soon, because this was a library and she was going to be here every waking moment, damn it all.

Kaisar entered too.

"If you're going to linger, could you get me a few books?"

"Which do you want?"

"Anything related to science, if you have them."

He had to look for a while and ask, because he had no idea what even qualified as science. Warfare and technology and healing could overlap, but not always in ways she could engage with. Let alone if her plans involved a better bomb, or sabotaging magic flow and mecha.

"May I ask, how many demons are there like you?" Kaisar asked. "I mean, the kind that does not seek to destroy but to build."

"Millions that you never would have met. They simply do not have the magic needed to leave hell on their own."

Her eyes fell on a book about the history of the Orleans Knights. A few shelves down was a history of the kingdom, accompanied by one on economical and agricultural advances. Those books were in better health, clearly of little interest to the owners. She pointed them all out and he gathered them, putting them on the table next to her. She started with the one of the Orleans Knights, skimming over records and deeds to reach the integration of the mecha.

"But you've left hell, to make pacts with humans. I wonder what you saw in humankind, despite our fears for hell."

"I saw passion and innovation brought together, to match my own. There have been humans who have done glorious things with the craft I lent them." She nodded at Kaisar's metal hand. "I actually provided the inventor of those with the magic needed to plan joint movement of such a device. You know, once I took so much pride in what I brought forth. I loved what humankind could accomplish. So weak, so frail, so shortlived, yet so driven by legacy and progress. I was proud to help your kind proceed with what my kingdom suppressed. Now, more than a few things I've helped develop are part of our oppression. Harnessing sources to fuel those ancient armors is something I took part in too, for example. Me and a rare team of other innovative demons, just about nineteen. We could've been more ..."

She trailed off to more dead faces, and quickly focused on the book again.

" _Ancient_ armors?" Kaisar frowned, and it was the first expression she saw from him that wasn't that odd, burdened look. Genuine curiosity was something she'd gladly indulge; especially since it put her mind somewhere productive.

"The mecha. Or automatons, as Paracelsus insists they must be called. They're ancient technology that your people use but cannot reproduce. I was never very interested in them, I was after their astronomical devices and generators. But now your king has found a way to power these things with Dromos, I think I ought to have a look."

She laid the book open before him, pointing at canister that held channel stones for mecha. "Get me one of these, as well as one of those green rocks. Or do I have to first make you feel more guilty for killing my friends?"

"I could ge the canister, but I don't have any access to the reserves that the Onyx Knights keep."

"Then buy a slave," she said. "And help me pry the rock out of the collar."

"I thought you were against slavery?"

Her eye twitched. "Let's get this straight : I've been a slave before I got to Cerberus's place. People like you being all uppity and moral about not buying slaves didn't help us at all. Buy a slave and try to do this : _don't_ give them orders. Just don't open your mouth at all if you feel some kind of impulse to be a slave master," she said. "Alternatively, pay them to take your orders."

She sat back in the chair and waited.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," she said.

He held out a hand. "Will you at least let me help you walk back?"

She couldn't shake the impression he asked for a favor, a way he could feel less bad that wasn't so risky or unfamiliar. If he did have some sting of conscience, that could be useful. She'd have to see first. Maybe if she could get him to take a few more risks, she might actually have a better ally. An excellent ally, actually, if her goal was to break into a prison.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Seconds, please!" Nina said eagerly, holding out her bowl to the supervisor. As always she was ignored, and that was better than the response had been on other days. Nina had been asking for seconds every day, smiling without falter even as she never got anything. Jeanne had thought it was dense optimism, but the longer it went on the more it felt like Nina was just very practiced at staying bright.

Nina sat back down with Jeanne, her stomach rumbling. She was absurdly strong when it comes to lifting things, but only initially. While still stronger than a human, her endurance started to slack of in a speed much faster than anyone else. It wasn't difficult to guess why.

"Here," Jeanne said, holding out her bit of bread.

"Are you sure? If you keep sharing, you won't last either, right?'

Jeanne took her hand and pushed the piece in it. "I will, I've done it before. I can see you're one of those who won't."

Nina hesitated, but her hunger won out and she devoured it in one bite. Up close, small things like her jaw opening further than a human stood out. She'd said she ate about five times more than a human, once. Jeanne wasn't sure how to break that topic, but altogether worried more for her health.

"Are you sure you don't want to escape?" Nina asked. She'd said it a few times so far, but every time someone had been nearby. Jeanne cast a glance around, but the guard had moved away.

"I do," she whispered. "You need to stop speaking of this near guards, okay? They quarantine trouble cases."

"Oh. Right."

"Yes, I do want to escape. I've drawn a limited map over the years, and your strength might help me bypass a few blockades I cannot handle alone," she whispered. "If I get out, I must find my child."

Whispers were around Nina had been a resistance member of some kind. She would not have mentioned her child, if not for wanting to quell any ideas Nina might have over dragging her into that. Rebellion was not what lord Michael wanted for Jeanne.

"You're a mother?" Nina asked. "So you like kids. Did you ever help a little demon kid escape?"

"No, not that I recall."

"Or maybe a holy chimera something, like two years ago."

El ... El had survived?

"Can you tell me more about that child?"

"Mute, looks very human, but has two colored eyes and is very nice and plays the ocarina. She's a friend of mine and I met the other kids too. They said you had brought Mugaro in. She's got a pretty weird power, but I didn't see it myself, unfortunately."

"Are you sure the child wasn't a boy?"

Nina nodded. "That's what everyone else thought too, but she says she's being a girl now. Why'd you help her? Mugaro's never really explained that, though Cerberus said something odd about her being a hybrid."

Jeanne couldn't make much sense of that, but still, the question to ask whether her child was alright choked on her tongue. She didn't want to give herself false hope.

"Do ... do you know where this child is now?"

"I'm not sure what happened to Mugaro, she got pretty scared from Cerberus's talk about some lady named Amira and she ran away. But Azazel went after her and said she was fine, she was just staying with some pastor. That's all I know."

What.

" _Azazel_ went after her?"

Nina cringed. "Oh, right, uhm ... yes, that's the Azazel who invaded Anatae. Anyway, he was really worried and I'm not sure whether he got to explain anything to Mugaro about the past or anything. When he talked to me about the past he was kind of a dick, but I'm sure he was nicer to Mugaro."

Kind of a dick was an understatement given what she'd heard and seen of him. Keeping her tone neutral, she asked, "What is Azazel's relation with Mugaro?"

"I think dad? After he saved her from the slavers, he took her in and took care of her and kept her safe and all that, and Mugaro likes to be near him and looks up to him, so I think that qualifies as father. Mugaro can't really say it cause she's mute, but it looks close enough. Cerberus thinks he just keeps Mugaro around cause of her being special but I don't think he had a clue. He really didn't want Mugaro to be in danger and Cerberus doesn't know what she's talking about. Not that Azazel was really forthcoming with thing he _should_ have told me, but the only secret about Mugaro was that she existed. I wasn't supposed to tell the rebellion about Mugaro Azazel thought she might get in danger, but then Bacchus and Hamsa didn't know. Or forgot cause they got drunk again."

By all gods above, _what_.

El was mute somehow. How that might have happened already festered at her imagination. Azazel ... had taken in her child. _What on earth for_? Or what in hell?

"Jeanne, are you okay? Did I say something wrong?"

"No ... I just have a lot to think about."

It had come full circle. Not only was her king her enemy and eagerly killing gods, now she had to believe that fallen angel cared for her child? Was El alright? Was Nina reliable? Who was Nina anyway? Jeanne never asked why anyone was here, usually. Nothing mattered in here, but if she was to get out with Nina and Nina was a demon ...

At the end of the day when alone in their cells (save for the guards at the end of the hall), Jeanne risked eavesdroppers to get some answers. There was a lot she didn't expect to learn, but one simple thing she could start with.

"Nina, why are you here?"

"Oh, that's, uh ... I kind of tried to kill the king," Nina said. "I joined with Azazel and Dante's rebellion, but it didn't work."

That was bold. More than she allowed herself to imagine nowadays, given what happened when she had defied the will of Charioce XIII. No matter. She had closer concerns.

"Are you sure the demon you met was Azazel?"

"Yeah. At first I was hunting him for the bounty, but the Orleans Knights thought I was with him and tried to kill me. He saved me when I fell and then I changed into a dragon and things went from there, I saved him too and then he joined the rebels and so I did too. I'm able to resist that green stuff so they finally had a chance."

Pour on some more absurdness, why not?

The girl's look and demeanor suggested nothing of lying, joking or malice. Demon matters aside, the ability to resist that terrible green power was not something to take lightly. Only El had ever been able to do so as far as she knew. What about this woman was the same? She had a hard time pegging her age before her cheerful demeanor slipped through, but she was toned and sunburned, having little in common with her frail child. She didn't sense anything holy emanating from her. In fact, she could be wrong but there was just a touch of demonic power about her.

Worse yet, she didn't like the sound of the knights just killing someone on a suspicion. What was going on, had they gotten rid of Kaisar too? Was he banished or worse?

Dear Michael. Something was really wrong out there, moreso than she'd thought when Charioce put her here.

"Jeanne, not that I mind talking, but why are you suddenly curious about my stuff?"

"I think ... it may be that Mugaro is my child, El."

"What? Really?"

She didn't like telling this story, but Nina had been forthcoming and perhaps her one true ally. Suspicions of Nina were limited to her physical nature, rather than any treacherous tongue. She might deserve a little honesty in return, even if it was a painful history to share. If Jeanne wanted to confirm what she suspected, she would have to tell Nina about El anyway.

"Once, I was chosen by the archangel Michael to rise as a saint for this kingdom, and as a vessel for the remanifestation of Zeus. We believed I was the holy knight destined to defeat Bahamut ... I was not. I fell into sin, and was forgiven yet. I vowed to spend my life as a knight, up until Charioce XVII began invading heaven. He would tell me why only if I swore loyalty to him and used my fame to sway the doubting masses to his new way. I refused and was cast out, no longer to be anything but the farmer I had began as. In his mercy, lord Michael gave me El. In his cruelty, Charioce XVII separated us. It is not an easy story. Do you want to hear it anyway?"

Nina hesitated long enough for Jeanne to consider resigning to bed, but she said at last, "Tell me everything, please. Of Mugaro ... and of the king."

 **· · · · · · ·**


	11. Paraclete

**· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne's tale was bitter all the way till she had to cut off her child's wings, curse her with demon blood and abandon her to slavers.

And Chris hunted angels to death.

The demons had done bad things to humankind for centuries, Nina could understand why he wouldn't like _them_ , but how to make sense of the gods? Adva had said something about how Charioce hid from the humans what he did to the gods, but Nina had imagined that was just invading them to steal the power of Dromos. That angel whom Jeanne and Mugaro had saved hadn't been anywhere near a sanctuary. Nina had spared Chris, and so El was still in danger and Jeanne was still trapped, along with countless others.

 _I'm sorry I was so selfish I let him go on._

After that story it was harder not to be reminded of her failure every minute. When the guards replaced the bars of Nina's cell with solid metal, still she could not shake Jeanne's presence. Sometimes Jeanne spoke to Nina, and she answered because how could she not? Jeanne wanted to know as much as possible about Mugaro. She worried about what Azazel's role was, and Nina couldn't even assure her about that. Too pointless to worry about anyway, when he might even be dead already — also thanks to her — and there was worse to deal with.

She wanted to apologize to everyone for having failed them, but her words meant nothing here. Only Jeanne was around and if she apologized to her she would first have to drag herself through the painful details of her boyfriend. Did he still count as that? Had they broken up? Had it been false all along?

Her fingernails grew longer and thicker, and the tips of her fingers hardened. Once, a mouse crossed the halls the next morning, and Nina snatched it. She kept walking and ignored the horrified mutters of both guards and prisoners around her, and the icky taste of blood and hair and little bones. She needed to survive, get people out ... find answers too. She needed a better truth than that this would be the rest of her life while Chris was out there, being Charioce.

It didn't fit, that he'd do such awful things to someone like Jeanne and Mugaro whom he must've known were good people. There had to be something more to all this. To him. As the dark days passed and her hunger grew, so did the need for an explanation. Maybe Chris didn't have much choice either. She'd heard a story of puppet kings once, maybe that went down with him? Maybe he was as locked up in rules and palace like she was here, controlled by others.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Gabriel never really let El rest. Not in that ne didn't get enough sleep or was physically tired, but everything rushed by almost too fast to absorb. School, formal introductions to important gods, tactics for using magic and training for what would happen if El got separated from the war ship, how to direct power, the beginning of spell circles and gates and they wanted to see whether ne could teleport.

In between that, El had smaller things to process too.

The word dusiu didn't have clear context beyond being more pleasant when it came to being addressed. It was difficult to place with expectations, and men and women acted so different here to begin with. A woman governed the kingdom and there were countless female warriors, when nur mother been an exception among humans. Men wore dresses, which were called togas here, and that was just scratching the surface.

Technology meant something that didn't always use magic. There were things like clocks, and vehicles and aircraft and screens that used nary any magical energy, but lightning instead. It sounded absurd, but everyone assured El that's how it worked.

There were neither humans nor demons here, and both were despised now. But demons had been much longer. El learned very soon that talking about demon friends even lightly got nur odd looks, so ne started to omit them as much as possible when recounting the past. That left things very vague, and ne never brought up Azazel.

Everyone talked about nur father, Michael, but El had no personal attachment beyond memory of the reverent love nur mother had for him. The things people told nur were full of big words that told nur nothing about what kind of person Michael had been.

It was expected that ne should be able to remember everything ne learned with ease, and it took nearly a week before one of nur tutors quietly suggested that maybe El's human heritage might mean mental _deficits_ — gods had clear minds, perfect memory and sensation. Humans didn't.

They also expected nur to be start healing the purer ne became, but nur hair went a lot faster than while the scar on nur throat remained unchanged. Nur wings didn't come back even a little bit. For now, they blamed it on having mingled with demons. Sometimes ne heard people talk about how nur mother had been tainted too, but they wouldn't go into detail on why that was bad. Both Gabriel and Sofiel dodged the topic when asked. At one point El asked Sofiel why nur mother hadn't been given new powers, after Michael died. She dodged that too and looked very sad.

It came to the point El was a little tired of getting all kinds of trivial information _except_ the things El wanted to know the most about. Talking with Azazel hadn't been the easiest due to lacking a voice, but he could usually tell what El wanted or needed in indirect ways. Nobody in heaven here could do that, or even tried. Doubts on what his past had been or not, El missed him almost as much as nur mother.

Ne would find them both, but Azazel would probably have to be found last because of the gods not liking him. Nur friends from the ghetto and Nina were likewise on the waiting list. But Bacchus and Hamsa were here in heaven, ne could at least look them up. No doubt they'd be more talkative — El wasn't sure why they hadn't visited yet, but could just write the question once ne found them.

Finding out where they were wasn't easy for more reasons than doing it behing Gabriel and Sofiel's backs, because the first fifteen people ne asked told nur that they weren't important and not to worry about them. It was so odd, because many of those gods felt like kind people, yet they were being supremely unhelpful. The sixteen was a nice innuw though who led nur to a wall with two guards before it, and happily told nur it was forbidden to enter and to not care for that.

They had happened to arrive right at the change of guard and the helpful stranger caused a distraction enough for El to slip through the magical gate.

On the other side was a floating platform and ... what a dull place, not at all what El had expected. It consisted of a fast, bright space full of slowing rotating brown circles. Bacchus and Hamsa had a floating platform and a lot of booze at their disposal, nothing else. They didn't notice nur until ne stepped onto their platform.

"Mugaro, uh ... El, right?" Bacchus slurred. "What're you doing here, kid?"

El took out nur notepad and wrote down that ne had some questions, and arriving here got them more. Like, why were they here? It was such a drab place compared to their old home.

"Cause it isn't a home, kid. We're imprisoned here on charges of hiding you and conspiring with demons," Bacchus said.

 _"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll try to get you out."_

"Meh, we'll just be exiled again even if we're pardoned," he said. "It's not that great on the surface anyway."

Oh, if that was the case ...

 _"I'll make it great on the surface soon! But I think I have to learn more first. Gabriel talks a lot about restoring the order of the world and I don't understand most of it. There's so much terms and I can barely read the books. I thought that maybe you could talk more with me?"_

"Sure, but not too long, we'll all be in trouble if you get caught here," Hamsa said. "What you wanna know about?"

Ne scribbled a page full of questions, most of which Bacchus and Hamsa didn't know on behalf of not having been in heaven for a long time. They didn't personally know Michael, didn't know why Jeanne's powers hadn't been restored, didn't know what exactly the plans were, why Gabriel disappeared so often and why ne couldn't regrow nur wings. However, there was one thing they knew about : the laws.

Namely, El dropping that ne would be going to war sent them into baffled rage. Apparently there were laws against child soldiers. El didn't really see the point, ne was a child and could do good magic to help people.

"You're what, six?" Bacchus said.

 _"I'll be seven in autumn! And I am the chosen one! I was born for this!"_

"Don't tell her I said this, but she should be figuring out _why_ your power can counter Dromos first," Bacchus said. "Also, if you were made for this you weren't chosen, kid."

That was new.

"What's she saying about what you gotta do anyway?" Hamsa asked.

Gabriel said two things about what had to happen : humankind must be guided onto the right path, which made sense, and they must regain their faith, because why? It appeared to be separate from guiding them onto the right after, or that would've been enough to say. But it hadn't at all occurred to El there were other things to think about.

Ne decided to first ask whether the faith meant anything, then what could be figured out about nur own magic.

"Cause faith powers the gods. It's kinda indirect, but pretty vital for a lot of special magic."

That was also new, so ne asked for more.

Hamsa took the word. "Heaven is powered by faith, which is much rarer than fear nowadays. Those who do the best job at maintaining balance and guiding so get the most strength. There are elections that raise the rank of those, so the strong are also the most qualified. Sorta. It doesn't actually increase power directly, just potential. We got really strong gods who can't do squad magic, and fairly frail ones who summon spirits and open gates all over the place," Bacchus raised his flask. "We can cheat a bit too, on the faith thing. I'm the god of wine, grape harvest, drunkenness and hangovers. It's got nothing to do with religious practice, this system that allots me the excess of unused magic of the users for the duration they feast and are drunk. All humans got magic potential, y'see, but most lack the knowledge and experience to use it. Humans never live long enough to manifest latent potential anyway. If we can tap into different stuff, it's easier to develop secondary powers and we get more range to sustain spells at distance. So me being the god of something pretty widespread, I could go to to toe with Belzebuth-powered J—anyway, it what kinda magic do you already have?"

 _"Before, I could kill dying people with a kiss, but I couldn't heal them,"_ El wrote. _"Was that just cause they were demons?"_

Bacchus and Hamsa sat straight up. "You could do _what_?"

 _"A kiss of death,"_ El wrote. _"I did it back when Azazel and I worked in the arena. All those poor demons who we carted out, they'd either die slowly or be killed brutally for losing. If gave them a kiss, they turned into light."_

El wanted to be able to do more with nur powers than shut down enemies and conduct mercy kills, but from the looks of it this already had Bacchus and Hamsa floored for some reason. Maybe it was rare too? Oh well. Bacchus muttered something about what Michael had been thinking, but El was more curious about the distance thing. Azazel had complained a few times his teleportation distance had shrunk, but apparently it was gone for others altogether.

 _"Why don't more gods come down to earth to specialize their source?"_ El asked.

They both shrugged.

" _What about demons_?" El wrote. " _Is Azazel specialized in something_?"

Hamsa said, "You probably shouldn't mention Azazel in heaven, okay? Or any of the demons. The gods are already very touchy on association with humans that is too close—"

Bacchus shoved Hamsa, who nearly fell off the platform. "We're not going there."

"Yes, we are!" Hamsa puffed his feathers up. "Mugaro, I mean, El, listen. The reason Bacchus is exiled is because he fell in love with a human woman and left to be with her. Imagine what trouble we might be in for associations with not just a demon, but a fallen angel."

" _I did notice those rules_ ," El wrote. " _I haven't told anyone about Azazel_."

"Keep it that way, kid," Bacchus said.

" _So how can I specialize_?" El wrote on the last paper.

"I dunno," Bacchus said. "You just gotta lean somehow. We don't know you well enough, but maybe your powers got something to do with you. More than just bland faith, I mean."

That wasn't good enough, actually. If one thing had been made clear in heaven, it was the idea that things could be better, should be better, and one had to work. Though, nur mother had always called work to be more like going across a way with an end goal to look forward to. Pass step by step ... hmm.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita had an empty room deep inside the palace. While within it, her arms were kept in wooden brackets enchanted with a spell other than those based on Dromos.

Every day she was brought to a make shift laboratory on lower levels, but never as deep as when they had experimented on Azazel. She regretted that a little, she wanted to know more. But after ascertaining they weren't useful for his revival ideas, Charioce's interest in the beasts was only insofar they could be controlled, which she had no hand in. Azazel's magic overpowered her influence when it came to his own blood.

In the meantime, there was the king. Charioce didn't actually _say_ he wanted to revive his own mother. It was just blatant from the kind of things he had her work on in said laboratory.

To an outsider, he did a fair job of making it look like his real goal was to create an artificial army to fill the weaknesses in his current one. He was surprisingly disinterested in immortality, but von List and others had a penchant for that and filled her time with experiments.

It was rather offensive. Oh, as a doctor and a zombie, she knew failing to accept death was only a problem if you started clinging to hopeless cases. Gun for immortality as much as one liked, care not a wit for the world. It was just that they were hypocrites. Chabrol von List especially went on at length about giant spirits among men being worth more, yet he wouldn't hear Rita's talk about how only the strongest minds would return as a sapient zombie with just a little bite of hers. The given reason of that rejection was that she either didn't know what she was talking about, or they thought her variant of eternal life was somehow inferior to theirs.

That absurdity took an extra layer on the day she was retrieved by the captain of the Onyx Knights. George Diels was a stern man in his sixties, hair graying and never out of his black armor. He nary had a personality beyond absolute loyalty to the king, for as far as Rita seen him around. When Athos was assigned to guard her he complained about how the Onyx Knights lacked the flair and grandeur to inspire people.

He led her to a sickbay, or what technically qualified for no other reason than that the gems that the Onyx Knights used drained their lifeforce. Rita had assumed they'd been embedded in their armor, but it was actually their chest. The stones were called gavenar zomorrods, which was all the information she got before being set to work to improve their condition.

It was futile work, there was nothing complex about their condition : they were slowly turning into living rot.

Your typical fresh corpse still had the muscles and energy to move about, but more advanced animated corpses needed more magic to supplant the missing tissue. As long as matter contained the nanoscopic acid of life, she could invoke that energy. The zomorrod process was similar : the magic recognized a living being and was able to enhance their abilities and provide energy through typical means — palms served as the easiest outlet, muscle was made stronger, speed was increased. It also degenerated vital functions through the very means it used to enforce the power. Their blood became thicker and black, rupturing vessels constantly. Lots of internal bleeding.

At Rita's best guess it wasn't supposed to be embedded in humans at all, but rather within a machine or some other organism only to be adapted for humans later. The way it worked on them leeched on lifeforce through the flesh, always hungry.

"Quick question, if they go full out, do their eyes glow?"

"Yes," George said. "How did you know?"

"They already run on the same mechanism that drives the undead." Rita flicked one of the rocks into the air. "Souls are shields against this control magic, but bodies are the roots of the soul. These rocks here are like a physical pact. I wonder where the source lies?"

"Is that relevant to whether you can stall the effects?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," she lied, and for good measure she gave some misapplied truth. "The mechanism starts from the tiny fractions of life, but since these guys are not yet dead it doesn't make a replacement soul to supplant the nervous system. If I knew whether there was a power source it would draw on, I could adjust _that_."

If they thought she could fix something, it would buy her time. None of these people had the slightest idea what they were dealing with, unlike Rita. George didn't respond, but she expected it'd get to the right person.

"I'm going to subtract some of the blood and will need to experiment on it in a secure location," she said. "Are you aware what ichor is?"

"No."

"Find someone who does and get me a greenlight for experiments."

They got her a new room for this, next to the infirmary. George was more than a little skeptical about invoking an outsider, but Chabrol, whom she rarely saw but heard a lot from, approved of having multiple sources. Apparently his original source was not very reliable and he liked having something to compare to.

So, Rita was allowed to figure out how the gems worked, with the intent of improving their embedding and the usual threat of killing hostages.

Experiments involves throwing a bit of demon matter in a cauldron with a zomorrod and watching what happened, using a few conjured circle monitors. She specifically looked at the ichor, the magical matter that most gods and demons were constructed from in varying quantities. Unlike with humans it also kept their souls anchored.

Conclusion : it didn't like ichor, as expected, but it was geared at subverting earthly matter too.

Gods turned to golden light upon death. Demons exposed to zomorrods eventually melted, but the degree to which this happened varied. Humans had an advantage to resisting the magic, but rotted away when in direct contact with the gems. Everything was hurt by it, the corrosion just took varying time.

All this gave her two work rooms, which she found acceptable to entertain her for now. She would bust out once she knew enough of the area, and if nobody else got their lazy ass up here, but the time until then was well spent. A little waiting spell castle hidden in a wall here and there also was useful.

Not useful at all was the one time George led her down to the dungeons.

"The king not joining us today?" she asked.

"The king is busy."

Their destination was a room with corpses. She recognized a few faces from the rebellion, most recently dead and all terribly scarred. They walked past these towards a table near the end. Another demon was on it, not scarred at all. Gray, discolored nose, no horns but a jaws too wide for a human. Frostbite littered his skin, so he must've been that dragon frozen by a god. Evidently he hadn't quite survived the freezing, but he must've lived long enough to try transforming back.

"We found this after breaking down the frozen dragon shape, center to a mesh of flesh drawing in," George said. "Can anything be done with it?"

"I can't remotely take control of demons, so I'd have to bite him" she said. "He might come back sentient."

George snapped his fingers, and one of the escorts opened a nearby door. Two others grabbed the corpse and hauled it through it. Beyond the door Rita could see a few spell circles and contraptions, probably security in case of another incident with Azazel.

"While they set things up, try getting that on its feet," George said, pointing at a quivering, half melted mess in a corner.

Rita took a closer look. "Oh. And what exactly are you going to do with _that_?"

George sighed. "His majesty is into blood games."

Well, Rita had made it clear she didn't care too much, but this was slightly prickling.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar was used to stand on the sides of the training ground, but today he took position on the allure above it to oversee.

The small monsters had been tied to the ground on chains, a challenge for the recruits was to touch their sword to the pin without getting injured. Little more than a test of response speed. Rita's part in creating them was difficult to ascertain. He didn't like to think about it, let alone that they were dismembered body parts of Azazel.

Athos's past job as a musketeer was earned, he was flat out better than Kaisar at instructing and motivating newcomers. He could fill the strange void Jeanne had left when she lost her powers, though it remained to be seen how he'd fare with the population.

The one dragon in left functional in Charioce s servant was a quiet fellow curious about human combat, and new to swordfighting enough he had to be with the rookies. He made a decent student, but it was clear he wasn't here to integrate. But he was powerful, far more powerful than an ordinary human, which made for good practice when the demon faction serving under the knights wasn't permitted to walk around in the open.

Despite the losses, things looked more or less right for the Orleans Knights. Kaisar's saving of the king, Athos's expertise and fame, they'd both brought in new recruits. The Onyx Knights would be much harder to expand due to the rigorous entrance requirements and George had given no indication that would be relaxed.

Kaisar should be rejoicing if only ... what had started this anyway? Azazel confronting him? Or earlier, with the appearance of the red dragon?

Belphegor would be at home experimenting. Kaisar hoped she would make a gas bomb first, but the times he'd checked she'd been into that green rock. Buying a slave had been easy enough, getting the rock into the canister not so much. It had tried to latch onto his skin, now leaving him with a scorch mark on his arm. He half wished he hadn't done it, so she'd get to work on an efficient way to break out Rita and Azazel.

Well, it'd have to wait, because Kaisar was rather busy anyway. A jailbreak would complicate things right now.

Dias passed by and said that the count Karl von Essenbeck had arrived, early, and wished to speak with Kaisar.

This man would supply a number of soldiers, whom would arrive today. Kaisar expected to be organizing with the military faction to integrate and adjust them, so it wasn't that strange that the count approached him. Something still felt off, though, because aside of Allesand Visponti demanding to be let in nobles didn't like to mesh with the Lidfard name still.

The count wandered towards him at a slow pace across the allure. Kaisar decided to meet him ahead, putting a fist over his heart palm down — standard greeting and vow of the Orleans Knights.

"Count von Essenbeck, I wish to express my thanks for your contribution. I am certain they are fine men," he said.

The man gave a mild smile and said, "I'm sure you will find them _decent_. I had better men, once. Someone sent them to hell."

Kaisar had well enough honed practice to know a jab at the king, and that this was the closest Karl would be able toget away with under normal circumstances. Kaisar lately felt a little less keen on reporting people for questioning the king.

"It is regrettable that many lives were lost. It certainly put a stop to the trouble we had with demons." He left away that he felt some things were too extreme.

"The gods, though ... " Karl sighed. "Honestly, considering how you returned to Anatae, surely you have a stronger opinion on where this kingdom is headed?"

That puzzled Kaisar until he figured the man meant accompanying Amira, the daugther of an angel. And a demon's fire, but Kaisar didn't find her very demonic — though, Belphegor wasn't that demonic either.

Before he could ask where Karl was headed, the man dropped a bomb, "Are you aware that the king had you tracked by his Onyx Knights a while ago?"

"I ... I was unaware."

"You are very careless, altogether. It is in your luck that some of the people here report to me."

Kaisar frowned. "Pardon me, but you speak as if you are not allied to our king. What are you here for?"

"I am more loyal to Charioce than I am to others who might currently oppose him, but let's say I find loyalty not an _inherent_ value in and of itself. I belong to a group of people who are very concerned about the future of the kingdom," he said. "I believe you might be as well."

"Perhaps, but there are more than one reason to be concerned about the king," Kaisar said.

"Ours are practical. We wrung already depleted finances dry to go to his war, he won't give us the stronger demons as slaves, we are not allowed to generate ghouls, and fast amounts of money disappear from the treasure chest to unknown sources. He keeps us under his thumb while also depending on our resources, as if we are weeds. And that whole mess with spreading demons all over the continent depending on resources we must generate constantly. The king may have risen the country to welfare, but we fear his hubris will only collapse it in the long run."

Kaisar didn't have the faintest clue about economy, but he dared say hubris was a befit word. "I am inclined to agree in certain ways, but how would I know you are not pursuing hubris either?"

"We would keep things ... small. Coups over civil wars, hypothetically of course," Karl said. "Nobody needs to die, just a quiet dethroning. Perhaps get rid of the current monarchy, no good comes from that bloodline."

Kaisar remained silent at that.

"Consider it," Karl said. "They call us the Black Troupe, but we deems ourselves merely the elite concerned for its country."

"What would your plans for the demons be in this new order?"

"We would prefer to purge the demons from our country once we have restored our economy in such a way it doesn't rely on a ticking time bomb. There is much that Charioce did right, but it cannot last."

"Indeed it cannot," Kaisar said.

"I'm glad we see eye to eye on that. Well, we shall surely speak again." Karl turned away and waved at one of his servants staning at the far away door. "Ah, Paracelsus? A word with you about the automatons of this location, please."

While the count wandered off with his men, Kaisar was left staring at the training ground without processing anything.

He had more options, perhaps. Going into whatever haphazard direction Belphegor wanted to go wouldn't be all.

Charioce had taken good care of the kingdom, and while he was too extreme about things, he couldn't imagine that he wouldn't come around. He was only young and possessed of an anger that Kaisar knew all too well. Killing him wasn't acceptable, so perhaps the Black Troupe was a safer way to undermine the worst and maintain his honor.

 **· · · · · · ·**

When not in pointless interrogations, they kept Azazel in a cold room of which the walls were lined with the power of Dromos. A circle on the floor was ready to activate if he tried anything. It meant less need to chain every part of him down even as his arms had mostly grown back, and more creativity. Arms tied back, a stick between the joints of the knees prevented him from sitting down and he couldn't slump forward without driving himself into blades that had been raised before him. He'd survive them, but it would hurt until they saw it fit to remove them and he didn't regenerate as fast as he should. That might be poison like he'd used on Amira once, it might be his failing drive, he didn't care to figure it out.

What he cared for what Charioce to be gone from the world, and right now he did the opposite by entering the dungeon.

Charioce took a seat on the torturer's chair that had been left at the room and looked him over. Azazel wasn't usually the kind be bothered by someone looking at him, but this was Charioce, beholding him in all the blood and pain he'd delivered.

Azazel had little energy to talk, but he knew Charioce wouldn't leave until he did. Staying any second longer in his presence than needed wasn't acceptable. "Did you come here for any reason other than looking at your work?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, and you'll be pleased to know it is not a test today either. I am curious about a few things. We have some tales of you, curtsy of obsolete knights and taverns taking a toll of Favaro Leone. You got so close to killing that man, more than once. Why did he survive you?"

A child on his knees in the pouring rain, looking up over his father's corpse. Smug then, Azazel had spared him because wasn't it fun if children grew up with that kind of shadow?

"Cruelty," he muttered.

"What about the child? What made you take him in?"

Left Lucifer out of pride, up until he stood in that place full of slaughtered slavers, and Mugaro's tiny hand clutching his cloak. Most demon children that survived weren't in such poor shape they couldn't walk. Then and there, Azazel found he didn't walk away.

Mercy, but it didn't sound like anything he should ever say. He wasn't even sure it was the right word.

"Well then, let's try another : how did you get Nina on your side?"

Azazel's head jerked up. If he knew her name, did that mean he had caught her, or had someone spilled it?

"Answer the question," Charioce said calmly.

"Thank your knights for that," he said. "She didn't get involved until they drove her to us."

Charioce kept quiet for a while. Azazel couldn't guess what he was thinking or how he got to what he said next.

"Did they now? I recall quite clearly you walked into my trap alone," he said. "You walked into a trap with no hope for survival of yourself, or those I had rounded up. It's worthless, really. I imagine she thought you were a hero."

Charioce walked up to Azazel. So close, but between all the binds Azazel couldn't kill him.

"The more that falls into place, the more I realize where your fault truly lies. You divine beings really do everything in the extreme, and so you went from one pathetic life to another. You were worthless before with your games on a family here, a village there, picking on the weak for no good goal. You are worthless now, saving the weak that barely have purpose. And the one time you bother with someone worthwhile, it leads to your undoing. I see now. You are a complication of fate, rather than a wheel of it."

 _If he'd let Nina fall_ , he wanted to be rid of that thought. Never have been challenged with it. If not, he would still be out there, the others still alive and hiding.

Charioce continued, "I've yet to see where all the pieces lie, but I've appropriated demonkind as a wheel for my ends for a good use even you would agree with. You did, once."

Once.

"Good use? Agree?" Azazel snapped between ragged breath. "My people are weaker than ever in bleeding for you. You force the strongest remaining to kill each other in the arena, how does that help your damn kingdom?"

"Oh, that. Well, ordinary humans need faith. They once built theirs on the gods who demanded it. I do the same in a far more concrete way : I show them the blood of their enemies every day where the gods only gave them a saint every now and then."

Azazel flinched away as Charioce laid a hand on his cheek, but couldn't get far. The prison was too cold, but he would take ice just to have the warmth of that hand off of him. It was the pretense of gentleness with which Charioce said, _look what I can do without a need to fight you off_.

Magic or not, Azazel had strength enough to drive his fangs through Charioce's hand. His lips curled up, but in the same instance the circle around him flared green, ready to strike.

"Don't be difficult." A build up of power from Charioce's arm stopped him rather than the words; not physical pressure but the familiar sting of Dromos. "Though perhaps that is asking too much of you without a trade off. So, I'll tell you I have four others members of your little rebellion, and unlike you they do not generate."

Azazel clenched his jaw together, but kept his eyes on Charioce. He couldn't look away now, no matter how humiliating this was.

"Good," Charioce said, untouched by the hateful glare. He might well revel in it, but Azazel still wouldn't look away.

"You shouldn't have started caring," Charioce said. "I have rid myself of guilt and mercy so I can focus on my goal to great success, and now fate his given you to me. That this happened because you came here for your people is quite ironic, after everything you did to mine. Now I just have to decide whether to clean you away, or use you for a game I see fit. "

"What you're using me for isn't a game already?"

"No, I have a purpose behind all my actions. Even my games do. Not that you would understand, or are even worth the explanation."

How Charioce drank in the sight of his victory and dominance belied it. Charioce was the kind of human whom Azazel instantly would have offered a pact if he had met him over a decade ago, to then sit back and watch the chaos unfold.

"There is no explanation, but _you_ ," Azazel said. "You might have all of this, but it doesn't make you greater. I've thrown away many like you."

Charioce dragged his fingers down, hovering the tips over Azazel's skin in feather light mockery.

"Don't presume to lecture me on my nature, when your stupidity brought you to your knees before me. Tell me, what did you achieve other than a second fall?"

Nothing. Charioce did differ in one way from everyone else Azazel had played with. He might have been the one who would succeed at turning a pact back on Azazel, like many had failed to do.

Charioce's fingers fell off his chin. "So, since you give me no answers I can use, how about I give you _my_ goal?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

The child Kaisar had bought was a quiet little girl named Tasro, who had arrived in the city by abduction about three years ago. The housekeeper, Felicia, saw her as a human child so Belphegor pretended she was a cousin; the kid looked different enough from her either in real sight or fog illusion to avoid the implication she was the mother. She spent most of her time on Belphegor's room, sometimes helping out in small, safe tasks. She was happier to be here than where she'd been, but still a child so in no position to decide how much work she ought to do.

"I'm bored," the girl said, peering over the table with large eyes. "Can I do something?"

That was an issue, indeed. "You could ask the housekeeper for a chore to do, but make sure to get something in return. Maybe an apple?"

"A whole apple?"

"Yes, and you get to eat it too. Tell her that Kaisar wouldn't have it otherwise," she said. "And make sure to not get saddled with too much, so check in on me soon. We'll see about getting you some toys soon."

Belphegor lost herself in her work after that, only briefly noting that Tasro and Felicia had gone into the inner garden to pick herbs. She paid it no heed until the shriek.

Reflex was to stand up and dart to the window, but her legs gave way and she barely caught herself on the table, wincing in pain. Sitting back down, she waited for it to subside. There were no further screams, and after a while small feet came running to her room.

Tasro stormed in and closed the door with her shoulders.

"Look!" She held up a disembodied but twitching hand to Belphegor. "It was out on the door. It really scared the housekeeper lady, but I think it's nice."

"Oh my, that's Rita's pet hand," Belphegor said.

The hand twitched, did it not like being referred to as pet? How did it even see and hear, when it had no ears?

"I'm sorry. Did you come here for Kaisar?"

The handed twitched its fingers forward, imitating nodding.

"He's not here, but he will be eventually. In the meantime, I'm working on something. You were Rita's assistant, right? Would you mind being mine too?"

Another nod, this time more enthusiastic.

Belphegor wondered what the fog would translate a disembodied hand as. She'd find out, no doubt, but more importantly, she had an assistant now who could hold that damn rock.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The repetition was a punishment by side effect. Stand still and have only hunger to feel, or load up and resist the pull of the rocks. The closer one got to it, the more it tried to leech.

They weren't supposed to help anyone who fell down. One could get away with helping someone stand up while moving through the tunnels, but not at work. If they didn't stand up, they were taken away and someone else would take the empty spot. There was no shortage of new prisoners. No shortage of bodies added to the death toll of Charioce, be it by labor, rampant disease, starvation or execution. By now Nina begun to wonder what would do herself in, because all mere tests of the security had done was find no holes, and got the door of her cell full of enforced steel because she kept pushing the bars out of the rock.

She grew thinner by the day, up until everyone else noticed. They couldn't do anything, were too tired.

But Jeanne did something, somehow. During one break hour, she called Nina into a storage room where she was supposed to be cleaning up. Under the pretense of Nina helping she was let in, though not without raising odd looks.

Jeanne led her to a corner, where she picked up something from under a crate.

"Here. Eat it, quickly." Jeanne pushed no less than _eight_ small breads into Nina's arms.

Baffled, Nina looked up. "How?"

"Just eat them," Jeanne said, giving her arm a little push. "Before they catch you."

Nina felt they ought to return it, it was stolen, they might get punished, but hunger won out. She stuffed the meager food in her mouth, uncaring for fungus or bugs. She could feel it melt away in her stomach already.

She left two for Jeanne and lied that she was full. Jeanne didn't believe it, but Nina couldn't be swayed and neither of them could be found holding bread. Jeanne scarfed them down with more bites.

But not fast enough.

"And what exactly are you doing?"

At the voice of the guard, Jeanne dropped her head and let herself he dragged out of the storage room, not even responding to the beating on her back and head.

Complacency wasn't Nina's forte. She hurled the first guard back and the second too. The third had a metal rod and landed a blow on her leg, buckling her forward. The blows kept landing, just swift enough to keep her from turning around and hitting back. Using chains, they got her in a hold and dragged her into the hall.

Someone came up with a vial of the sticky oil used to dislodge stuck machinery. After Nina was in enough pain to not fight instantly, they pulled her head up by the hair and forced the oil down her throat, half choking her. She struggled and was able to kick the one administering it before the whole pot down down, but it was enough to make her sick.

Her captors pushed her head down. Pretty quickly, the oil and everything else she'd eaten came back up.

They laughed and one said, "Try spending your time working, and we wouldn't have to do this!"

Nina's muscles tensed up. Magic of transformation pushed out the scales and grew her muscles even as there wasn't enough to sustain a dragon. A deep growl escaped her throat as she janked her arms loose. Within a twist of her foot and a second's passing, she'd grabbed the guard's wrist.

"We could work better if you gave us more food!" she growled.

The guard's wrist broke as she squeezed. The crack echoed through the hall, almost as loud as the guard's scream. Nina janked the whip from the other guard's hands and ripped it apart.

More guards ran at her, and she was just so fed up, she forewent all trained suppression of her natural power. Nearby stood a trolley, she picked up the entire thing and hurled it at them.

A moment's silence was followed by fearful gasps and the shouting of guards.

"No way a human would be this strong," one of them said. "It must be a demon."

"Honestly, why was she even put here? We're not supposed to have demons so close to the project," another guard said.

Five of them tackled Nina. More by instinct and reason did she resist, even as she saw Jeanne shake her head and mout _no_. It didn't help. They had to get off. She threw two of them across the hall, but was dragged to her stomach when one grabbed her legs.

Nina struggled against them, reasonless, almost eager to bite—

Another two guards came running, one of them holding something.

"Von List said enough of it." Out came a slave collar, complete with shining green gem. "We can't get rid of her, it's orders, but we can keep her restrained."

The slave collar clicked into place.

Nothing happened other than the now familiar pressure of the green power being closer. It pulsed like it tried to latch onto her very soul, but slipped off.

She seconds to sensed that before the guard whispered the activation spell in a bracelet. Dim pull turned into a dagger driven into her throat, ripping out a scream.

But she could still move. It didn't go as deep as her bones. After the initial flare of pain wore off surprise, she pushed her arms below her and struggled onto her knees. She kept her jaws together, even as her voice betrayed her.

"Nina, stay down," Jeanne said somewhere in the distance. It barely mattered.

Fangs broke through and would have gone further, if Jeanne hadn't thrown off her captor to rush at her side. She put an arm over Nina's shoulders. It distracted her enough, soothed a little, and Nina stayed down. Her sense returned to her as Jeanne's voice grounded her.

If she let the dragon out _here_ , people would get crushed to death simply by her size. That was not acceptable. Jeanne had a calmness that helped, maybe if she took that a step further — she thought of home, of her happiest times with her mother and father, when he was still around — but he was gone now — and her thoughts betrayed her and set her on the dance floor with Chris — a pirouette before the gazebo and the surprise orchestra — and it sent her reeling. But sadness was not shock or horror or rush or pain, and the pulse of transformation shut down. She let herself drop down, almost feigned weakness, and the spell stopped. They thought they'd won, she let them think it.

If this was what the stones felt like, how much worse would it be for demons? She wouldn't complain about it, so once she was allowed to stand, she grit her teeth and pushed herself up on trembling limbs. She'd gotten just a little step closer to warding off the dragon, if only by need, and no step closer to igniting by will, but it was something positive to hold onto.

She returned to the routine of work, now accompanied by the endless push and pull of the gem at her neck — part begging her to take it, embed it, let it leech, the other part rejecting its very essence. It crept into her mind through open corners, needling her into different directions.

Chris _hadn't_ chosen this. It could not be. If he wanted her in a collar he would have said so right away. Maybe he kept track of how she did and would order it removed. Until then, she could endure. If they thought this would stop her from helping her fellow prisoners or escaping, they were wrong.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Favaro found his new buddies might have uses. For this evening, Trismegistus had constructed some kind of strange matter that stuck to the face, not magical in itself. She'd made lifelike masks of it for herself and anyone who needed it. This way they could walk around without being recognized, regardless of anti illusion antidote.

Favaro had painted his hair black, changed clothing into something uncharacteristic and off they were to find out about the Red Troupe. Their leader was supposedly somewhere in the higher district of the city, but Cerberus only had guesses on the actual identity and no scents to follow. Favaro expected to have more chances to learn things, though he wasn't that good at seeming honest. Hence Walfrid, who did, and Trismegistus came by as their guard since she didn't need demonic power to defend.

So, pretending to he moderately fancy people, they strolled through the streets.

"Tell me again why we're absolutely not not supposed to kill the leader of the Orleans Knights if they catch us here?" Walfrid asked.

"Look, bomberhead is stubborn as fuck but he's still my friend and I swear eventually sense will knock into him. The king's got Rita now, maybe that'll do it," Favaro said. "Though maybe he's gonna stick because she's there. They don't have her in the dungeons, they've got her in the most guarded area up the tower."

Walfrid froze, eyes wide. "How would you know that?"

"Walls don't stop my friend," he said. "The pay off for that is that she can't stop anything physical either. That's _my_ job."

Trismegistus crossed her arms. "You're awfully mysterious, won't make a pact with Cerberus and you're friends with an enemy, why should we even trust you?"

"Oh man, can we not do this out here? It's not like I'm a threat to you anyway, all I got is a little demon tail and a specter friend who is frankly a better person than I am."

That got disgruntled half answers and no trust. Dammit. He'd stopped being a chronic liar years ago, why was this still happening? They didn't even have a good reason to expect a trap.

Trismegistus froze up.

"What's it?" Walfrid asked.

She held up a hand. "I think someone's cast a drought spell on an area to the left of us."

When prompted, she explained that as an alchemist she had a sensor that detected material in the environment. Someone had offloaded a whole lot of air moisture around here. Probably not a kid with science homework, too precise. Walfrid wanted to dodge, Trismegistus was curious, and as tiebreaker Favaro added in some curiosity.

They followed Tris's directions and found a whole line of mansions rather busy burning to the ground. None of the houses before or after this house line burned, which in itself was an indication of arson. The third indication was the people strung out of the windows on ropes, screaming as they burned alive.

The trio joined the crowd staring at the line of fire, at a safe enough distance to talk without being heard. Favaro didn't spot any of the fire brigade that should've been around, only muttering crowds.

"So, your friend in any of those mansions?" Walfrid asked.

"Nah, he's closer to the forest," Favaro said. "Man, what a disaster. If this goes on he'll show up here soon."

"In case any of you is heroically inclined, I wanna point out the fire is going to melt our masks," Trismegistus said.

"Good, I was gonna pass anyway," Walfrid said. "I would like to find out who did this, though. Maybe our soon to be friends, or competition?"

Favaro considered taking out his crossbow and at least shooting the ropes loose, but he found his bounty bracelet glowing and didn't move. A powerful demon was nearby and he would bet it was responsible for this.

A roof of one mansion exploded. Pieces of tile rained onto the street, forcing the crowd to back off.

Someone stood amid the flames.

Onto the crumbling edge of the attic stepped a woman with long orange hair and black horns pointed up, dressed in black satin with white lace and gold ornaments. Favaro smelled fallen angel before she even unfolded her dark feathered wings; if old Azazel was any indication with his leather, belts and chains, fallen angels had a bit of tackiness. This one looked like she dressed for a tea party with only aesthetic warrior touches, while standing atop an inferno bathed in dying screams.

Favaro had expected a speech, some kind of boisterous declaration or maniacal laughter. But she just stood there,peering down at the gaping crowd, too far away to read her expression.

"It's a demon!" someone called in the crowd closer to that fire.

"Call the knights! Where are the knights?"

A quick look around, and far off in the dark sky were wyverns ... dropping down as soon as they got in touch with the smoke. Dammit.

When a nearby man ran to get the knights, a spell circle opened below him. Before he could so much as step away, he burst into flames.

Screaming, the crowd dispersed. Favaro grabbed Trismegistus and Walfrid by the arms, keeping them in place. Circles opened below everyone who ran, incinerating them alive.

The remaining people stood stock still, until a woman collapsed to her knees and cried.

A circle opened below the person next to her, burning them too. This continued one by one from the first one out, but skipped over anyone who went down.

"Kneel!" Favaro called, dropping himself to his knees. His companions followed suit, as did most humans not yet targeted.

A minute dragged by after the last person had dropped to their knees, during which the fallen angel only looked on.

Still without a word, she bowed and vanished into thin air. Amira flitted through the sky, but found her nowhere. She went inside and looked out of the window soon after, shaking her head. Unless the fallen angel had tricks Amira could not read, then they had just seen a demon whose teleportation hadn't been limited by the fall of hell.

Amira ran a check to confirm she was really gone before giving him the clear signal.

Favaro stood up, which drew fearful murmurs, but nothing further happened.

There was no sign of knights or fire brigade. That angel would've had a support network, because both both the ground knights and the fire brigade had been intercepted somehow. This was a message.

Bit by bit, the people started to calm down and climb to her feet, Walfrid and Trismegistus among the first.

"Any of you know who that was?" Favaro asked.

They both shook their heads. People around started running or tending to the dead or comforting each other.

Someone approached them. An old man with a croaky voice, wearing a cloak Favaro had seen before, said, "Allies of Cerberus, am I right?"

"Who asks?" Trismegistus said.

"Vassal of the lady Olivia," he said with a chuckle. "Lovely show we had, no?"

"How did she do this?" Walfrid said. "Azazel was damn clear about how he doesn't have that range anymore for his serpents, while that angel opens portals all over the place."

The man chuckled. "Hell has more rivers than fear. Now then, what are you doing here?"

If Cerberus hadn't told Olivia about Favaro's intent to gather human allies, assuming they'd talked to her at all, there was reason for that. Cerberus was smart enough. "I'm getting these two familiar with the area in case something big has got to be done. You know, getting a certain feathery guy back," Favaro said. "I once was a knight, I know the place quite a bit."

"I see. Well, you might want to reconsider the need for that particular fallen angel now that the lady Olivia has arrived."

His two companions looked apprehensive, and Favaro himself would've been weary even if not for the whole business with fallen angels being trouble. After all, if they fell, it's because they wanted something incompatible with heaven and this one liked to set people on fire for a show.

 **· · · · · · ·**

They drugged him with the same poison he'd once loaded her Gregor with, capable of knocking out the greatest demons. Not easy to make, certainly not for humans in a short time period. He expected they were bringing him elsewhere, and it wouldn't be good. He expected right.

When he woke up he was chained up in an all too familiar dungeon. It wasn't the bland brick walls that hinted it, but the bitter scent of blood, sand, sweat and metal that lay under everything here.

He'd been out long enough for his flesh injuries to heal. He lifted his new arms as much as he could, finding them mostly the same. There was only one reason they would bring him to the arena, and he dread what he would soon have to do with those hands.

Charioce's goal : the use and annihilation of all the demons encompassed. The strongest, the weakest, all mowed down, culture gone and with it their pride. Now Azazel would be speeding that up, another wheel to Charioce's machine of destruction. Charioce's goal was born of the kind of hatred even Azazel could not imagine. He hadn't wanted humankind wiped out or even torn down to nothing. He didn't want to imagine to be part of that for his own people, but he'd learn. Maybe he deserved this more than death dished by one of his victims, if he had no choice but to perish. He'd fallen twice already, why not a third and final time? Why not?

He knew all the motions of preparing a demon for combat. The collar always stayed on, but the shackles around the hands and the foot would get off once in the middle of the pit. The collar master stayed behind the gates, the collar itself would activate in case of magic use, and an extra Dromos circle lay under the entire arena in case something happened to the gem. The things were vulnerable as any crystal.

When they came him they hooked a metal rod on his collar, like he was a rabid dog. They put the rags of his vigilante nights over him.

The sun shone brightly as they led him into the arena. He kept his face neutral, unwilling to give them any misery or hatred to rejoice in.

At least, up until they brought him across his opponent.

They set him across ... across Dante, or what was left of him : a rotten, half melted corpses with only one half formed eye. The other glowed.

Rita had taken a bite of his corpse and it probably was a sentient being who looked back at him. He didn't know how it worked on demons who had grown from human hearts.

One of the handlers pulled the cloak off of him, another yelled, "We present you the greatest killing machine haunting Anatae : the rag demon!"

The crowd fell into a stunned, short lived silence before they roared, "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"

Azazel had grown accustomed to the human wailing, knew to mourn in silence, they faded to the background. What he could not fade out was the look Dante gave him. There was a specific kind of hatred that comes from those in mad despair, distinct from those that bear it out of misery, regret or pain.

"You ... you got us here," he rasped.

Dante charged as soon as they unhooked him.

Azazel could fight using only a sword, but Dante had a lifetime of having to rely on physical strength and simply ran him over. It met head first with Azazel's unwillingness to fight against him. The blow of Dante's massive sword threw him back, sending him to the ground a few meters away. Disappointed hollers rose from the crowd.

Dante staggered closer in a broken gait. Azazel dodged the sword descending, rolled over and was back on his feet.

It wasn't a real challenge, with him like that. It wasn't supposed to be. Charioce risked a displeased crowd for his own preference.

"Dante, can you hear me?" Azazel said.

"I hear you," he said. Half his cheek sagged off, ready to rip. "I should've heard you before, I'd have known better than to follow your ideas. Let's use the magenta dragon, ha!"

Without precision, Dante started hacking at Azazel.

"I didn't ... " Didn't what? What could he possibly say to Dante after all this? There was nowhere to run, nobody to save. One or both of them would die today.

Azazel's eyes crossed Charioce, who sat on his throne with the same impassive look as always. When he noticed Azazel's attention, he smiled.

If Azazel let Dante kill him here, Charioce would at least not have the pleasure of using him for his genocide.

Dante knocked him back with his elbow and Azazel let himself go down. Planting a knee on his chest, Dante tried to slice his head off, but despite himself Azazel set the sword against his hand and caught the other and of the blade in his black claw.

"You left us all to rot, and now we have to pay for it. Now I ..." Every word was soft, dying breath. "I didn't change into a demon to die as human entertainment. I just wanted to go home."

Dante still wanted to live, but he was already dead far beyond Rita.

The blade came closer to his throat. Azazel could let it through, but just as the first drops of blood flowed, his arms tensed and he threw Dante back. Jumping to his feet, he took a defensive stance. Unbidden, he recalled old magic to dispel pacts.

Between the two of them, Dante didn't deserve this half life. Azazel clenched his hand around the sword and jumped. Spinning around to kick the blade out of Dante's hands, he threw him back and cut his legs off. Dante was left flailing on the ground, but grew silent soon. Only his rasping groans remained, like he tried to breathe and could not.

Azazel knelt at his side. With his claws in the way, he could not touch set the tip of his finger on the forehead, as was customary to accessing pact magic, so he used the flat of his thumb. Dante clawed at his arm, but was too weak to move it.

As general of hell, general below Lucifer, Azazel exercised an authority he had never touched on. He banished Dante from hell and claimed back the ichor he had once taken in. To Dante's death.

Dante ceased to exist as black matter rotten out of him. So much about him had been demonic, it took along all sense of identity. Left was only a shriveled, frail corpse that didn't even work properly as a human zombie. Azazel closed his hand around the skull and crushed it. He stayed on his knees. Tears prickled in his eyes.

He'd thought it difficult to be forced to _watch_ his people die. Mugaro had administered mercy death countless times, had somehow conjured the strength for it over and over.

Only then did he notice the suffocating silence in the arena.

The announcer broke it by rattling on about demonic possession, warning of its dangers, and finishing with the line, "This is what has happened to the saint Jeanne d'Arc as well."

What Azazel had heard and seen of Jeanne during her rampage in Eibos was nothing like Dante. The discrepency of her suddenly being brought up, when they had not done so for years, registered but did not stay in his mind for long.

Dante's human corpse indicated a small man who wouldn't have come close to the power of his demon form. So much of him had changed he died with exile. The line between human and demon was both clear and worthless.

The snakes writhing below his skin manifested when a spot on his arm broke. The collar prickled but didn't register it as independent from his basic body. It slithered across his arm before boring back into his flesh.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne felt it before she heard the cry. Nina was in the storage, supposed to be retrieving things with her enormous strength. The rest of her team had dropped their work and had pressed against the wall, while a guard shouted at Nina to get up.

Nine had curled up, head pressed against the ground before her knees. Her arms covered her head, close to the still glowing collar. Pink flares leaked off her arms and legs, illuminating the room stronger than the green light from the collar.

Jeanne moved.

"Hold it!" Another guard stepped in the way.

At any other day she would have obeyed, but now she dodged below the blocking arm and dropped next to Nina.

A glint on Nina's arm came from scales. Not the layered kind of fish, but more reptilian hardened skin pushing up. Nina had said she wasn't quite human, but this didn't fit any demons she knew.

Jeanne put an arm over her back and her other hand on one of Nina's hands. The knuckles were covered with hardened skin and the lower parts of her fingers were dark and padded.

"Nina, withdraw," Jeanne whispered close to her ear. "Please try, if they call in von List you'll be in worse trouble."

"I can't," she sobbed through a voice that sounded nothing like a human. Heavier, with a growl to it. "It's too small here. I can't, but it's going to happen."

"What is?"

"I change when I'm ... stressed, or overloaded, or dying." She might be sobbing, but it was difficult to hear over her lowered voice. "I'm so hungry. I have to get out. I have to hunt."

Up close, small bits of bones were visible as they formed on her skull and at her jaw. No doubt, this was a transformation.

Jeanne had the memory of how to channel power from the gods. It had been stronger in the presence of the god key because the presence of Zeus's vast power, loading her with easily released force. She was a channel, which came with the ability to sense the flow of magic. Nina had had own source, but that didn't mean it might not be channeled away.

The guards were hesitant to approach. Good. Jeanne sat before Nina and coaxed her to sit up too. She had been crying, her eyes were tear streaked and desperate.

"Listen to me," Jeanne said. "I'm going to take something away from you. Your mindset will influence how well I can. Concord will make it easier, so think about allowing me to take it."

Nina clutched her hands into her own shoulders, or rather her claws. "There's nothing I can let go."

"Yes, you can let go of your energy."

"If I release it I transform," she whispered hoarsely.

Jeanne took her by the shoulders and looked sternly at her. "Nina, I will handle it. I swear, but you must let go. I don't know what will happen if you transform, but I can see you don't want to."

She left away what von List might do, Nina didn't need more anxiety.

"Trust me. Okay?"

Nina nodded stiffly and closed her eyes.

Jeanne didn't close her own eyes, but what she saw was secondary to what she felt. She hovered her hands close to Nina's hands, but found her power was more focused around her heart — of course, it was inherent rather than expressed.

Where Michael had conducted holy light to her, Belzebuth had given her seething fire. Nina was wild fire, but nothing like that of hell. Belzebuth's power had been focused, needle sharp and lethal, while Nina was chaotic, erratic and yet warm. The glow faded just a little as Jeanne guided it aside.

"You really are a saint," Rachel muttered somewhere to the side.

Jeanne shook her head. "Not anymore. My patron deity is long gone. I simply retained memory of how to wield raw power."

Nina began to relax into the flow. One of her clawed hands closed around Jeanne's, cautiously beginning to give along. The glow crept weaker and weaker. Jeanne still needed all her focus to keep the tremendous amount of energy to disperse.

"What's going on here?"

Everyone froze at the unwelcome voice and Jeanne almost lost touch. After regaining it, she turned her head.

In the doorway stood what once would have looked like a most stereotypical old scholar. Long white hair, bearded, tiny round spectacles and a berret. That had become the stereotype of danger here. The guards were cruel, but Chabrol was uncaring. He wanted perfection, and demanded it with the immediate replacement of unfit workers.

Jeanne looked him straight in the eye, hateful, but she kept her voice even and respectful. "Please give Nina some time off. Her powers are going out of control."

Von List ignored her and glanced at the guard with the control bracelet. "Why are you standing around letting this happen? Didn't I give you a collar and bracelet to avoid exactly this? To think that—"

"That collar is making it worse!" Jeanne said. The guard smacked her across the back of her head. She lost touch with Nina, but she crawled onto her feet and glared at von List again. "Let me bring her back to her cell. She's a shapeshifter, you don't want to know what she's going to turn into."

Nina's glow increased again.

"Unfortunately I'm already aware," von List said. "And I agree not one bit with the king putting that thing here, but alas. Orders are orders. You say you can keep that in check?"

"As well as I could keep any demon in check, in my past days." Except her own.

"Fine. Get it out of here."

Really?

Von List turned away without further fuss. He was law on this island, so those orders could only be from the king. What was going on?

A guard urged her on. Jeanne helped Nina stand and they were led through the corridors. Part of her feared they would be cleaned up, but they weren't brought to the incinerator.

Once in their empty block, the guard directed them to Nina's cell and said, "When it's over, you come out and get back to work."

The door was locked behind them.

It took a very long time for Nina's transformation power to ebb away. She began growing a small tail at some point, by which point Jeanne couldn't restrain her curiosity anymore.

"Nina, what are you?"

The answer came so readily, Jeanne felt she could've asked before.

"I am part dragon, a kind that can take humanoid shape," she said. "My mother was an ordinary human and I was conceived outside the usual magic rituals, so I'm not really right. If I transform, be careful, okay? I'm just a monster then."

"How so?" she asked. "Wouldn't it help us if you turn into a dragon and break us out?"

"In here, it won't. At my dragon's strongest and most free, my mind goes. What use is it to be when I can burn down everything and go everywhere I want, if I'm not really awake, let alone can control it?"

Jeanne got the impression she wasn't really talking about a prison break. Careful, she rubbed Nina's back. Below the coarse prison shift, she could feel scales and a heightened spine. It unnerved her, but she didn't let go.

Nina shook like she restrained sobs. "I let them all down. Dante, Belphegor and everyone else are dead ... the guard who rowed me to the island said they're torturing Azazel and they have Rita too and Bacchus and Hamsa are missing ... The one time everyone wants me to kill a human, the one time there's no doubt I should, _I didn't do it_ ," she growled.

After a few deep breathes, she continued in a still hoarse, inhuman voice, but softer. "Why does he do this?"

"Who, Charioce?" Jeanne asked.

"How can he be like this?"

How indeed? Jeane couldn't give a clear answer.

"Humans are the sum of our choices," Jeanne said, because something had to be said. "Where gods may flow and demons burn, we are the ever changing tide. Charioce chose to invade heaven and refused to say any more than that was for the betterment of humankind. Nothing forced him, so he can be like this because he wants to."

She wished she knew more to say, but she herself couldn't make sense of humans. After all, she'd once worn a face she now hated.

Nina stood up. Her tail had retreated, but the scales were still there and her face looked strangely distorted, like she'd burst bones through the skin soon.

"I don't think you're okay yet. Please rest a little more," Jeanne said.

Nina shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'll be okay. I always was."

That her smile seemed almost real was more disturbing since her eyes were red and dripping with yellow goo. Nina pushed herself to her feet and cheerfully said, "Let's get back to work."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus's obligatory new ally was making a mess of the city. Sure, the fire had been constrained to the high ring and with the wall between that and the lower district the fire was unlike to spread, but by chaos. It sure had taken a bite out of the wealthier customers. As if she needed a reason to rush getting Azazel out.

Time to expand her allies some more. While looking for Rocky (tiny agents were handy, okay) Mimi had reported Belphegor was somewhere in the upper ring with broken legs in the Lidfard mansion. Well, look at that. A rebellion member who was actually useful. Time for a visit.

By now a lot of the city guard wore drenched handkerchiefs that warded off the illusionary fog. There wasn't enough of the antidote plant to get the entire city the material, so guards patrolled the streets. Avoiding them wasn't easy, but not impossible either if she sent one of her puppies ahead to scout, and teleported into a few houses with empty rooms to hide if needed.

She reached the designated mansion without trouble, sniffed the air and confirmed the scent of Kaisar Lidfard all over the place. Without further ado, she teleported into a kitchen, avoided a housekeeper and tiptoed towards a room reeking of medicine, disgruntled demon and telltale chemicals.

Quietly, she teleported in and got fumes in her face that obscured the poof of her arrival.

Belphegor had a table full of pipes, glass, tiny spell circles and goo in bottles and flasks. A sack of potatoes with electrodes in it stood next to the table and was wired to a canister central to the contraption. She herself sat hunched over this table and did not look up.

Cerberus leaned in from behind and said, "Watcha doing?"

Belphegor startled so much she dropped a glass with steaming liquid on the table, which corroded a little.

"What I am _doing_ is _trying to concentrate_." Belphegor took a breath, grabbed a towel from the ground and started cleaning.

"I meant what you're doing here, in the captain's home, in the upper ring, where you can be very easily caught," she said. And traced back to Cerberus's brothel, now she thought about it. "How did you even get here?"

Belphegor stuck a bandaged leg out from under the table. "I got half squashed and had the fortune of looking pretty, female and the right kind of distressed to kick in Lidfard's knightly instincts. I wish I could take all this and do it somewhere safer, but I can't yet run with these legs if it comes to that."

"Nice," Cerberus said. "You really scored, didn't you?"

"Why are you like this?"

"Just saying good job. Anyway, this here is ...?" She waved at the table. "And how'd you get him to allow this?"

"The captain of the Orleans Knights has been having doubts on how strict he's following the laws of his kingdom. I'm putting those doubts to good use." With some difficulty, Belphegor stood up and opened the canister, revealing one of those green stones. "I'm going to find out what this is, how it works and what we can do about it."

"I can tell you the latter," Cerberus said. "Human heritage helps."

That actually got Belphegor to put down her silly tools. "Really? How do you know?"

Cerberus wanted to tell her in short terms what they'd figured out, but Belphegor incessantly nagged on about details that Cerberus didn't have. She had zero interest in testing out what Walfrid and Trismegistus could do, she didn't even know where Paracelsus had sodded off to and she had no idea what astral embedding even meant.

"Oh, you're hopeless," Belphegor said. "Would it be possible for me to move back in? Here I'm just one explosion away from discovery, but if I can work with Azazel's pacted humans I'm sure I can learn more."

"No, it's already crowded back in my place. They start wanting entertainment. I can't believe the freaking spider's the only one who can sit still."

"Arachna is alive? Who else survived?"

"Lot who didn't join the fight, including your crew. The guy started growing salad in your old room," Cerberus said. "Also, Azazel and Rita are alive, but the king has them."

"I'm aware. Kaisar knows where they keep Azazel," Belphegor said.

"Great, that makes it much easier to bust him out. My darlings are smart but cute little dogs snooping around the empty dungeon halls does tend to stand out. Got a map?"

"I think I can convince Kaisar to give me one," she said. "But, why do you even care?"

"I still have an open deal for helping that stupid rebellion. If humankind does fall, I will be getting my castle _and_ permission to start a hellhound breeding program. That, and there's a new fallen angel in town. She's bad for resources."

Belphegor's eyes widened. "The fire the other night ... was that ... ?"

"Yep. Olivia with a crew of her own. She wants to fill the gap your Pyrrhic victory left." Cerberus flopped back onto the bed and cuddled her puppies close. "Anyway, I'm taking a nap here till bomberhead comes, okay?"

Belphegor groaned, but went back to her work without further complaint. Cerberus dozed off, trusting her sharp ears to warn her of trouble.

When she woke up it was to the noise of approaching footsteps and the scent of gloomy tormented knight.

He stopped in the doorway when he saw Cerberus, who waved at him. "Hey there. I think we need to talk, captain."

His hand was on the hilt of his sword. "What about?"

"About you finally betraying the king all the way," she said. "I'll throw in your zombie friend if you help us. I mean, sure she's dead, but I'm pretty sure Charioce can make her deader."

Kaisar cast a look at Belphegor, which was odd. Did he expect her input or anything?

"It is not simple arrange for a covert outbreak prisoners," he said.

"Forget covert, we're going full out. Sharp, precise, quick," Cerberus said. "Probably fiery too. Bet you heard we got a new fallen angel? You know, you could avoid her coming to the palace by arranging for us to sneak around. You'll just have to make sure certain posts are deserted. Okay?"

And he spread his arms for a dramatic declaration, oh boy. "It's not that simple! Me betraying the king has all kinds of repercussions! It would further taint the honor of the knights, and if I get caught nobody will be helped at all! The palace is not some playground. You two know what it's like to not be allowed to reject an order, right?"

Oh, he didn't just go there. Cerberus flattened her ears. "You really do fancy yourself as having it all figured out, don't you? The great knight who always knows best."

"You _don't_ wear a collar," Belphegor snapped. "You don't know what it's like to be a woman, a slave, or a sex worker. What little choice we get is always within confines."

"I just though it was an apt—"

Cerberus flipped off the bed and kicked the nearest vase at him. "Now, you better think was a great time it is to _shut up_."

He bounced off on his raised metal arm, leaving him caught between offended and befuddled.

"You _can_ say no. If you resign tomorrow, it will bring you merely dishonor," Belphegor said. "The closest options someone like me had was Cerberus's place, where we can at least arrange to avoid certain customers."

Kaisar fiddled with the chair and decided to sit down on it. With some effort he said, "My apologies. I was out of bounds."

"Alright, accepted. Can you now tell us whom else Charioce has captured alive?"

"I'm not sure how many of the demons in the dungeon belong to the rebellion. They also have a certain Dante, who says he was the actual leader of the rebellion," Kaisar said. "And a girl named Nina was sent to the prison on the island after being accused of funding the rebellion. And of course, Rita, but she isn't anywhere near the prisons. For some reason, his majesty keeps her in the upper levels. I have no idea where."

Aww dammit, if Favaro's student wasn't anywhere near anyone more important she wasn't gonna get him to pact with her.

"Could be that he's keeping her as far from any corpses as possible," Mimi said.

"Yeah, when we were in there, both the morgues and the dungeons are all below," Coco said.

"I don't think that's it," Kaisar said, sounding and smelling more than a little frustrated. "She's within the zone where only the Onyx Knights guard. He recently used her to create some kind of monster from Azazel, but otherwise I don't know what they want from her."

Well, that was interesting. Cerberus didn't have a strong stake in saving Rita or Nina, but the former was smart. If she was in the castle and could in any waybe of use, that better be for Cerberus's side than Charioce's.

Cerberus refrained from talking about how she knew pacts could make for better allies, in case bomberhead was going to report _her_. Kaisar could do that without endangering his new pet demon.

"We could set off a bomb in the palace," Belphegor said to Cerberus. "It shouldn't be difficult to create another gas bomb, and I think I have the hang of the type that just knocks out people so none of the servants will die. If Korlaun might help me grow a few things, that would be helpful."

Kaisar's fists balled. "I won't help with that. It is too risky. I can however get you blueprints of our mecha, so perhaps you can figure out a way to disable them."

"Aww, if I'd known that I wouldn't have ditched Paracelsus," Cerberus said.

"What?" Kaisar said.

"She's saying that there is a difference with being able to invent fuel sources, and disrupting routers," Belphegor said.

The amount of effort Kaisar had to put into not blurting out a second _what_ was just a tad cute. Or maybe it was other effort, because he followed up with, "I have to be honest ... Azazel isn't in the palace anymore. He was transported to the arena after they concluded he won't talk and isn't useful for the regeneration experimentation any further."

In other words Kaisar's likely priority, Rita, wasn't gonna be included in a heroic rescue by Cerberus. Also known as, _the captain was less likely to help_. Drat.

Upon Belphegor's prodding, Kaisar informed them in clipped tones what had happened to Azazel before he was moved to the arena. Cerberus was glad to note, and somewhat surprised, that he hadn't said a single word betraying her or anyone else.

Belphegor was more interested in the monsters, questioning Kaisar extensively about their nature. Cerberus tuned that out to brush Mimi and Coco's fur, waiting for them to get to more relevant topics.

That got cut short by Belphegor tossing something at her. "Are you listening?"

"What?"

"We have no idea what Charioce's going to do with those monsters, so you need to go check it out," Belphegor said.

"Pffft, don't worry, it's birth through death, works like regeneration. That's how I was born. Past me was sick of being a head on a body that couldn't do a damn thing till we all agreed on what to do. I'm not really sure how it works though. Must be something odd about that Rita's magic." Cerberus shrugged.

"Really?" Belphegor said. "I thought it was exaggerated. You didn't have a zombie?"

Cerberus shook her head.

Belphegor sat back, forgetting her work for a moment. "Goats ... Azazel has never had anything with goats before, but some religions would symbolically send their sins to him on a goat. It used to be a joke among humans that everyone used Azazel as scapegoat for dodging crimes they committed. In hindsight of what I know now, I suppose he might have actually committed some of those sin, but that aside ... I wonder where forms of magic come from."

"Just focus on that rock and the bomb for now," Cerberus said. "Not the time to get spiritual and all that."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel was a spectacle that always drew a full crowd by now, all waiting for him to die or even get injured. It never happened when he outclassed all demons in the arena even without magic ranged magic or wings. He expected to be pitched against multiple adversaries soon and for the price of dangerous, difficult to control demons to rise so they'd have something new.

He tried to make it quick for his opponents. None of those he was forced to kill were left writhing in the sand, though he could never be as gentle about it as Mugaro. He wasn't made for it. Part of him wanted back to the dungeon — the trade off of physical agony for the intolerable fact that Charioce was now using him to kill his own people didn't seem so bad. Like this, he had to make _choices_ about how to kill his people, however little they were.

They had pitched him against nobody he knew after Dante. He'd thought that was better, initially, but the deaths tore at him anyway. One or the other would die. Him, or whomever he was pitted against. Some of the strongest were absorbed into the demon division of the knights, but not him. They only pitched him against those who never had a chance to get out — not that the demon division was more than cannon fodder, but there were chances to escape, however slight.

Every time he feared it would be someone else he knew — some member of the rebellion they'd caught in the meantime. Maybe he'd face off against a magenta dragon one day. If she was alive at all. She probably wasn't, like everyone else. Thanks to him.

Mugaro still lived, but heaven was not safe either. One day she'd fall to Charioce too. Lucifer, hidden far away in Helheim would be right. He'd be the last one left standing, perhaps until Charioce's empire burned out. It might be decades. Centuries.

Time was a burden he knew well, and feared. The same day in day out, for decades, centuries. This time not drowning or starving in the dark, but killing those he needed to save in broad daylight. Unlike then, he now knew how long such a time might be.

The blade he had fought was still in his hand, though not for long, his handlers were already approaching. It wasn't empowered with Dromos's force — the gems could break by accident and demons had a lot of innate strength to do it with. These blades were of demonic and divine making, raided from their realms.

How quickly could he move against himself?

He slowly turned the blade up at his throat. Perhaps he could drown in his own blood.

He didn't move. Not against himself, not away, waiting.

A hand far stronger than a human closer around his wrist.

"No," a familiar voice whispered. Following the demonic hand on his arm, he looked up at the new funerary cleaner of the arena. A familiar face, Nishaol, half hidden under a hood.

She pried the sword from his hand and tossed it on her cart, taking what little resolve he had to do it himself. He was left with shame that he had even tried, none the least before thousands of human eyes. Before Charioce. Killing oneself was disgraceful. Someone else who deserved it should do it, if at all, but still ...

One of his handlers smacked him across the face and he stumbled back. Finding his footing he glared at the human, but didn't resist when they put the shackles back on. He found his balance.

Nishaol returned to loading to her cart, giving him one last glance before vanishing.

Azazel refused to look at Charioce and didn't resist as he was dragged back and chained up in his cell. The snakes writhed, but he kept them in.

If he could not free his people, what _for_ did he even bother to live?

 **· · · · · · ·**

 _At last._ El carefully lifted the black ocarina out of the nest at the bottom of the closet. The surface was as smooth as ever, save for the windholes and the pale gold plate that formed a star.

El had lost nur old clothes when Gabriel had ordered them thrown away, but Sofiel had kept them long enough for El to retrieve and hide the small black marble out of the pockets. When tapped it would transform into the ocarina Azazel had given nur. It had a lot of trouble taking full shape in heaven for some reason, but it _had_ completed.

This morning, Gabriel was gone for another errand on the surface and Sofiel liked to sleep in when she wasn't around. El could expect a little solitude.

Nur quarters covered the entire upper part of a skyscaper and had several balconies. El favored the one that faced the fast forest, over which the sun rose. It was the kind of sight El knew from nur life in the cottage, which had laid in the mountains at the edge of an old forest. Autumn mist existed here as much as on earth, though the trees did not became brown. Ne sat on the railing and played with a sting of loneliness; the people ne usually played for weren't near.

Gods often meditated and Gabriel had told El do the same, which involved sitting in lotus position, eyes closed and thinking about nothing. It was worthless for El, but others somehow found an increased their magic focus. So El tried what made nur focused : music.

It was too high for any of the gods to hear and the airspace around the holy court of Vanaheimr was empty for security reasons. Still, El drew one visitor.

The being stood far down in the grass at the edge of the forest, barely visible between two other buildings. Shaped as one of the rare horned horses the Orleans Knights sometimes ride, yet far more slender and with a lion's tail. Most unusual was its radiance, so bright the creature stood out in the cool shadows.

El kept playing, eyes on the unicorn. Ve joined with a soft sound that shouldn't have carried up so high without drawing anyone's attention, but it was only for El. A high wail, ethereal and smooth as it became an undertone to El's song.

Heaven had a lot of friendly people, but this was something else. Harmony was the right word, and a little more. The unicorn knew ...

"El?" Sofiel's voice rang out. The unicorn vanished the second the music stopped.

El jumped off the balcony edge and ran towards her. She looked a little sleepy still, but was dressed for a day in the sanctuaries. Those would not open for another hour. Good, cause El had somewhere to be. After greeting her by touching her hand, ne grabbed a paper and scribbled.

 _It's time for my wings to come back. Help me go somewhere, please?_

"Oh ... well, if you truly do not regenerate on your own, Gabriel is capable of transformative spells," she said. "Perhaps we can persuade her to try one on you by now. Your hair is nearly blond again."

El shook nur head and pointed at nurself.

"You want to heal yourself? Oh El, you don't have to be ashamed that you can't. Perhaps it is your human heritage and—no?"

El took the paper back, and blurted out what ne really wanted : to meet somewhere out there. _Holy calling._

Sofiel thought, and could be persuaded with a display of sad puppy eyes, to take El out while Gabriel was gone. It took her a lot of dithering to actually open a portal, though.

On the other side of the portal were the Elysian Fields, which ne had only seen from afar yet. Now ne couldn't see far because of the mist.

Barefoot ne stepped into the long grasses full of white flowers and whirled around, glad to have back nur old environment. Cities, whether broken like Charioce's or clean like Gabriel's, were never really free.

El ran on towards the sun until ne reached a mere. Dirt lay below the surface and plants grew within and it was cold, but ne ran in with no regard.

Sofiel stood behind nur, hesitant on what El would do. El gestured at Sofiel to wait, wondering whether to play the instrument again.

It wasn't necesary. Out of the mist right stepped the unicorn, entering the mere on the other side.

Up close, the unicorn was even less like those on earth. Too slender, and not entirely white : the coat grayed out at the knees and was tufted white on the lower legs. Golden swirls ran over vun entire length and someone had made small braids in the manes. A blade like green horn stood above equally green eyes.

"This is a true unicorn, unlike the mortal creations on the surface," Sofiel whispered. "They are master healers who can handle injuries, poison and tumor alike. I suppose if you can summon such a creature, you could ask vun to heal you, but ..."

Her voice faded away, overpowered by the soft but permeating voice of the unicorn. It was the first time El ever found some meaning in the concept of purity, if only to describe what ne sensed of this being. This being ... like vun entire existence was the manifestion of care. If only the unicorn could, ve would encompass the world with its power.

It could not. Many of vun kin had died, been hunted down, and even gods sometimes sacrificed them. That's the way the world had always been — but Gabriel said El could fix it to how it before — but the world was too large for one soul. It took El a moment to realize the unicorn spoke without a voice, simply sharing vun knowledge.

The unicorn's horn touched nur neck. El laid nur hand over the horn, but the expectation to be healed was not immediately met. El was given instructions to heal, in general, and the self was where to start.

Something passed by like a soft veil on a sense ne hadn't even realize ne possessed. With it came flashes of another layer to the world within which others lived, or at least existed. Only one looked at El, surprised. He stood nearest — no, not standing. Being. An angelic man (probably) with long orange hair and a sad expression. El smiled, which got similar in return, but before ne could ask anything ne was pulled onward.

The unicorn took El deeper into the layers of the world until El began to see rivers in forms ne had no words for. The fabric of magic and matter and nature blurred at the edges until the parts blended with a greater whole. El couldn't ever hope to encompass all, anymore than the unicorn could.

The greatness should have been intimidating, but this sight made it all the easier to return to a small focus and see what was to be done. El's scar was knitted flesh, human, not wound or illness or tumor. At the core of nur soul was a human heart, brittle and perhaps not made for eons that would come, and they _would_ come, for El's blood ran strong with the power of gods. A power already invoked whenever ne gave the kiss of death of gods to creatures of earth or hell.

That had been the simplest form, to push something apart. To put it back together required greater attention. As the scar was undone, nur flesh stung — injury to take away a flawed form and replace it with something better. New nerves grew under the guidance of the unicorn,flesh and cords shifted back into place.

A rush went through nur back. The itch of wings was there — Azazel had been able to push and withdraw his wings — remembered, ready to regenerate if only ne gave them something to fuel. Unlike the rest of nur body, nur wings were holy.

That was not broken, merely a mixture of parts. It hurt a little to know ne would never become a true god, like all of heaven expected, but if ne could make nurself heal anyway maybe it didn't matter so much ... would this work on others? It _should_ , shouldn't it?

The unicorn stood back and the world shrunk, but the sensation of nur own magic remained. The scar was gone, and nur flesh only felt a little tender. Ne took a deep breath, only to find ne didn't know what to say in the after rush of feeling the world fold open.

Ne sat up and the unicorn took a step back. Closing vun eyes, the unicorn bowed as El found words.

"Thank you." El laid nur forehead against the unicorn's snout, who gave a gentle wail. The shift ne wore fortunately had an open back that allowed El to unfold nur wings. Ne detached from gravity, letting the unicorn raise nur up.

Laughter escaped nur, happy to be complete again. Ne fell around the unicorn's neck and said once more, "Thank you. I couldn't see it before."

When El let go the unicorn bristled, gave a final wail, a glance at Sofiel, then vanished the mist.

El turned to Sofiel, who stood still with bafflement plastered on her face.

"How did you tame a unicorn?"

"I didn't ... I didn't tame vun. I just asked for help." Ne voice was still soft, new vocal cords untested, but it would grow stronger. As ne nurself would.

"You truly are a miracle child," Sofiel said.

Nobody had explained El what that meant yet, though it probably had to do with being able to counter Dromos. The unicorn hadn't said anything about El being special though, ne had just answered to a curiosity. A kind angel, able to sense hearts as unicorns could, who played on an instrument forged by a demon. It had been worth the risk to learn for this unicorn, almost like ne had done vun as much of a favor.

Sofiel brought El back to the palace, tension clear in her posture. Gabriel had already returned and people were flying around trying to find El. When Sofiel and nur were spotted, Gabriel actually bothered to get off her floating platform to approach them. She looked angry, but when she noticed El's wings that softened.

"What happened, Sofiel?"

"El summoned a unicorn who healed nur," she said. "I saw it fit to bring El to the unicorn's preferred location, a mere in the Elysian Fields."

It wasn't entirely right. El could correct it now, voice and all, but under Gabriel's stern gaze it was difficult to speak up. Besides, Sofiel knew it wasn't her idea to go there, so maybe she didn't want to go into detail.

"I see." Gabriel gestured for El to follow.

Gabriel's prefered avenue of addressing her gods was a balcony of white marble, over a cross emblem. Two stairs were at the side, never used since she only had angels around here. El wondered why it had been built that way. Maybe someone who walked had ruled once.

Many of the court had gathered around. Gabriel told El to wait until a spell to unfold nur wings before addressing the audience. The time had come, she said, El was ready and then some big words.

Gabriel cast a circle of magic below nur feet that raised up. A secondary magic enveloped El, drawing on some unknown memory to craft new clothing. The last demon blood vanished from nur hair. The order to spread nur wings was needless, the surge cause the effect on its own.

El looked around at nur new outfit. It had a hood like nur old coat except purple on the inside, the one ne had gotten from Azazel, and an overshirt and skirt a little like Nina's, but the dark undershirt wasn't familiar ... wait, it was, hadn't that man just before worn something like that? The rest was new, white gloves and boots and a split cloak from below the hood, all in white with gold edges.

"You look wonderful," Sofiel whispered somewhere behind them.

After the unicorn's touch Gabriel's display didn't feel like much, but everyone before them cheered so it had to signify something. The kind of graduation Gabriel had wanted.

"Well, El, are you ready to begin your task?" Gabriel said.

El nodded. "I will save all whom I love. My mother, my friends, and all who suffer under Charioce."

Though Gabriel smiled, her eyebrows twitched a little and El felt ne had somehow displeased her, but couldn't figure out what.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina woke up to a curtain of blond hair was lit back by orange light, and voice she had trouble pacing whispered gently to her. Words slowly took back meaning until she recognized Jeanne. Mostly. Up close it struck her how little she was like the statue : not in feature, but health. Emaciated and tired, skin over bones.

She couldn't remember what had happened, but she could imagine. The whip marks on her back and legs built up, and behind her skin the dragon's hunger grew. _Get out of here, get out from below the ground, get to the sky, we were never meant to be here._ All her mind stripped away, left was a dragon in pain, for herself, and for others whom she wanted to protect. She couldn't let it out.

Her rations had been increased to what a human needed, but it wasn't _enough_. They took her off the regular teams and had her work solely in the area that stacked material into carts. Jeanne was moved there too for assisting her. It wasn't easy on Jeanne, who was already overworked and underfed, and Nina wished all the more she could just control the damn dragon and break them out. But she couldn't trust the dragon even if she did.

"Nina, do you think it's possible you've spent longer periods of time as a dragon?" Jeanne asked as she helped her sit up.

"Huh?" Nina said as she looked around. Someone had brought them to her cell again.

"You talk sometimes, when you are half awake. Do you remember we talked between your collapse and waking now? No, right?"

No, indeed."

Nina pulled her knees up. "Yes, I probably did lose time, but we don't talk about it at home."

"If you tell me, perhaps we can figure out something," Jeanne said.

Nina didn't think so, but she liked the idea of finally telling someone. Comfort was scarce here and Jeanne had spent so much time helping her, she hardly felt like a stranger. She deserved to know, especially if something did go wrong and Nina lost herself again.

"I notice the time. You know, our entire town is made for people who can fly, so once I fell down when I was very little. I woke up at home the next morning and everything looked normal. But bitter food didn't taste that bad anymore. I went to the room to play with my building blocks, and it was just really boring. Instead I wanted to run, and play challenging games, and the stories my mother told me had to be more exciting. I had an easier time following what adults talked about too. I wasn't afraid of the dark anymore.

That happened a few more times. Once my friends had become teenagers over the blink of an eye while I still looked like I was eight. I could keep up with their talking just fine, but ... I guess it's hard to see me as older when I look so young. I could still play with kids who looked my age and I was the big sis cause I knew things better, but I couldn't talk _with_ them about much.

By the time I was ten ... or looked like it, it was really difficult to learn things in school. Everyone else had an easier time absorbing things. It's like how adults have a harder time learning a language, but I wasn't supposed to be an adult, right? But I could read the sky like nobody of my generations, I could track deers and knew what wood was sturdy and what was weak. I don't remember learning those things. Once I woke up so lonely, I had to run to another room and hug my mother, cause it felt like I hadn't seen her in years. I remember seeing her the day before, but it just didn't feel that way. She'd gotten thicker and older, that day. I didn't mention it, I was just happy to see her.

You know, when I was with Dante's group, they told me my dragon self knows how to fight mecha real well. Maybe mother never said anything cause I killed people before."

It was out. Jeanne knew now.

When Jeanne spoke, it was only soft. "If you lost _years_ , you must still carry that with you. I know a life that requires one to pretend all is well and there is no sadness, having been a saint and a knight. All my life was servitude after lord Michael chose me. One can bear loneliness and misery, but it has to be acknowledged. It is nothing one has to take pride in. Lord Michael perhaps understood at last, because he gave me El when I was most abandoned."

"And now you lost El too. You really have nobody and here I am complaining," Nina said with an embarrassed grin. She rubbed a hand over her eyes, trying to stop the misplaced tears.

Jeanne gently took her hand away. "We aren't all equally strong, nor do we handle pain the same way. You're cut off too, you're closer to death than I am, and everyone who bears suffering must sometimes set it down to recover. That is the times when we cry."

With that she embraced Nina, letting her rest against her shoulders. The sobs broke out of her, haphazard and still restrained. She was not going to become a blubbering mess, even if she couldn't pretend to be alright. Jeanne holding her wasn't unlike being home, so maybe it was okay.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel was able to open long range gates, one of the few angels still able to do so. She brought El to a place on earth where Gabriel awaited, along with instructions on how to act.

When they stepped out the other side, a vast expanse of gray collumns and colorful windows surrounded El.

El had seen human churches before but only in disrepair. Heaven was grander, shinier and more magnificent, but humans had none of the magic the gods did, or even what Charioce had available. They had built this despite their limitations and they gave it far more colors than in heaven. The tinted windows depicted scenes from stories that El would like to learn, but there was work to do.

A man in rich robes and a miter — another new word El had recently learned — stood before the gate circle, arms wide open. He took a knee. "Welcome to our humble cathedral, oh holy child."

A hand from behind fell on El's shoulder and Gabriel said, "El, this is one of our most loyal servants who is taking a great risk by hosting us."

The cue for El to say, "I thank you for your hospitality, pater."

"We are most honored," the man said. Shouldn't Gabriel be giving his name by now?

"The honor is mine. Soon, I will liberate ..." What was the name of this place again? Oh, it'd been in an overview given by Reinier, but there was so much to remember from the lessons before. " ... uhm ... "

Gabriel's hand tightened just a little bit and her voice turned a tad harsher. "Valeria."

"Valeria from the vile clutches of Charioce's blasphemous ways."

In all but name, the other countries had been annexed. El couldn't keep track of all the new words Gabriel used to explain how that worked, but basically the country sort of did what Charioce's country wanted because he provided them with the power of Dromos.

The man with the miter stood up and walked down a long path to wide doors. El had another quick look around, the portal was before an altar in from of the assembly hall. It felt a little like the small church ne had found refuge in, far grander and with richer statues. Were all churches outside Anatae like this?

Beyond the doors stood was a crowd of humans bathed in sunlight. El closer nur hands over one another. Ne had to step out _there,_ under their eyes, when they could see nur wings.

Gabriel said, "Don't hesitate. It is your destiny to guide humankind back on the right path. No doubt your mother was under divine inspiration. Go ahead, you will soon find your role comes quite natural to you."

Nothing felt natural about drawing lots of attention. El had a lifetime of fine honed impulse to consider crowds staring at nur to be a bad thing. If it wasn't people on the streets that might be dangerous, it was bloodthirsty crowds in the arena.

"Go on," Sofiel said somewhere behind nur. "Spread your wings and be proud."

El did so, and took step by step towards the light. Gabriel walked close behind nur.

The man called out, "Bow before your holy leaders! Regina Caeli Gabriel and Santo Niño El, born to our salvation!"

The crowd covered the entire plaza before the cathedral. People had climbed onto lamp posts and roofs and into trees to get a look. The stairs to the street below were deep, so El could see most faces from here and they all stared back without hatred. A chill ran over nur back and into nur wings, El couldn't tell whether it was fright or joy to know all these people had come for nur.

At the bottom of the stair was a small platform on which a captured Onyx Knight, still within the recognizable armor but restrained by many chains. Several human men stood around for security. Gabriel had prepared El for this, ne was to disable his power in front of the crowd.

Her powerful voice rang out, "Evil exists in the world, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Worry not, however. Our coming portends to the swift justice that will be dealt to those who threaten the righteous path."

The crowd broke into joyous cheer. It overwhelmed El, but in a good way. Anatae's human population had been full of indifference and praise to Charioce, but the people here really wanted to see Charioce defeated.

Gabriel said, "Go on, El, show them you will strike down Charioce's armies. They must know you will defeat their enemy."

El couldn't keep the tension at bay as Gabriel's hand guided nur forward. Ne flew the short distance to the paltform.

"You ... you're the holy child," the knight sputtered. He struggled against the chains and the wristblade shot out, but the human men kept him back.

Reflexively the power in nur's left eye shot awake, worming into the hostile energy at the core of the gem. The Onyx Knight instantly fell to the ground, torn down by the weight of the unnatural armor.

There was something new to perceive, El realized. Though nur left eye, the red one, channeled it most strongly, it really was a field ne radiated. Out of all that it touched, the green gem was the only impurity in the world. A sickening thing. A tumor, or infection. It didn't belong here.

Now ne could see what ne did, it was easier to direct it. Ne tried to narrow the radiance onto that one broken point to erase it altogether, but couldn't go all the way. The gems within the collars ne could sometimes erase, but this had gone so deep it had anchored into the host's soul.

Not yet. The unicorn had said it might take time to learn, as any talent needed honing.

The cheers were even louder this time. El tried not to collapse and found nur feet steady. It had only been a small expense of power, but ne was sure it was much easier than before. Strain without the black out.

Good, and better yet, none of these people would harm nur for it. They all were right, if perhaps not equally kind.

Gabriel held her arm out and El returned to her side. At her gesture the crowd fell silent once again. Ne didn't need more urging this time, caught by the exhilarating sensation that ne could make the world better, safer, fit for nur mother and anyone else ne loved, and could come to love.

For the first time in nur life, ne raised nur voice to the heavens. "I shall strike down the armies of Charioce XVII, I swear it on the name of my mother saint Jeanne d'Arc and my father the archangel Michael! The world will know peace!"

The crowd started chanting El's name, and Jeanne's and Michael's, until they joined in a sacred song that sound dimly familiar.

Beyond being able to speak, El found a sense of power in words that ne hadn't known before. To make such declarations and be able to back it up was good in a way El couldn't explain. Ne had always had to hide nur powers from all but nur mother. Here and now, ne could display it without fear and use it for good. The world could be shaped, an idea that felt strangely liberating. No more hiding, no more running, and fear could be done away with as obsolete for all but their enemies.

Gabriel let it go on for a while before guiding El back in. Sofiel already had a gate to heaven open again.

"Isn't there more I'm supposed to do?"

"No, this was all. We are here to rally people for later, but you must not stay on the surface too long or the enemy will come."

"But I can just take them down, right?"

"Unfortunately, the actual soldiers of this kingdom are still under sway of our enemy, but once Charioce falls they will willingly bow to our benevolent guidance, so we must not harm them," Gabriel said. "It is important that they lay the foundation of the undoing of the empire as soon as possible. Once we have restored the world to order, we must go about swiftly to gather all of the accursed Dromos and lock it back up. Our human allies will aid us in this."

"Oh, okay," El said. That did sound like it meant the least people would suffer, which was best. "If that is what must happen to guide humankind to the right path, I will make it happen."

 **· · · · · · ·**

He'd been a fool to think that watching his people be slaughtered was the worst job he could have; foregoing that he did not have a paid job anymore. When he had worked here as a funerary service he always looked at the face of those who died and tried to remember them, what little dignity he could give them, now he had to look to live and tried not to see the blood he shed. Forcing tranquility now was harder, but he still managed. He didn't give Charioce the pleasure of seeing him all out break, not beyond that one moment of weakness.

At least, he kept his mask of tranquility through the sand and battle. It was something else that broke it.

Right as he was in the middle of a battle, the sky began to shine golden as a heavenly gate opened over the arena. It brought the echo of Gabriel's domineering voice. "Sinful human king, heed your gods and repent!"

The hush that fell on the arena suffocated. From the golden light emerged two platforms with three silhouettes on took a step closer to the edge as she faced the king. "We demand you return what you have stolen from our holy temples. Furthermore, you are to release the saint Jeanne d'Arc to us."

Charioce stood up. "If you feel confident enough for such declarations, why not put action to words and simply take what you want?"

Archers aimed at them, but the escorting god opened a circle to catch and throw the arrows back — wait, wasn't she the one who had been here during the rebellion?

"Stop, Sofiel," Gabriel commanded, before turning her attention back to Charioce. She took a step aside and cast her eyes of the human masses, ignoring the demons right below.

Behind her a gate circle opened and a smaller angel stepped out. Azazel had to do a double take.

Blond, with less curly hair, and perhaps a little older, but unmistably Mugaro.

Taking position next to Gabriel, Mugaro planted a golden staff before her and called out in clear voice, "Seven years ago, when you crowned yourself and cast my mother from the kingdom, you made it clear you wanted nothing of the gods."

Of all the ways Azazel could have imagined Mugaro's voice, this almost harsh tone wasn't it.

Mugaro continued, "All humans still loyal to the gods shall be spared. You did not choose your king, and he did not choose you. Heed our call, for I shall cast down the wicked king soon."

Mugaro had always been a gentle presence, the very idea that she'd go to war didn't fit. What was Gabriel doing?

The humans rose their voice in hatred; those who came here were also those most likely to despise the old world order, after all. But there were hesitant voices between it, and the screams were not as numerous as when they had called for Azazel's death.

"You have some pride to talk as if _you_ will be dispensing mercy any time soon," Charioce called.

"If you will not comply to ours orders, then we shall do as you want and take back by force."

"Just because you have the saint's child, you might not want to hasten to your deaths."

"Death is what we shall pay to humankind," Gabriel called.

For a moment Azazel and Mugaro locked eyes. She looked like she'd say something, but the platforms ascended already. Gabriel put a hand on her shoulder and followed her gaze.

Azazel lowered his head, not out of respect for Gabriel, but wanting to keep any suspicion away from El. He wouldn't be able to fake a hateful look.

The light faded, the sky blue and the sand drab again. The stadium hollered and cried against the gods, but it passed him by.

It had been long since Azazel had even thought about heaven's fate. He didn't miss it, but now he knew what the humans would do if they took their blood thirst to an army with Mugaro leading it ...

His opponents resumed attacking him, mistaking his posture for submission. He dodged the first blow and blocked the second, taking an opening to kill this attacker. He survived.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne recognized his footsteps. Where she normally ignored him by focusing through prayer on Michael, this time she stood up. If Charioce returned so soon, she feared he might have caught El after all.

Charioce faced her, close to the bars as usual. He didn't pay heed to Nina, but Jeanne saw her stand on her tip toes to look out the small window of her cell. A small gasp escaped her.

"The gods have declared war on humankind now they have your child," Charioce said. "Should the siege proceed I will crush them without mercy, but there may be a way we can avoid this. Persuade your child to call off the war."

El was being sent to war? She shouldn't expect less and she was sure Gabriel knew what she was doing, but El would be up against Charioce. So soon, again him.

"After everything you've done, why would you even bother asking me this?" she said, her voice measured to hide her fear.

"Neither the gods nor your son will die, no needless blood will be spilled, if only you make keep them at bay."

"Should I do it, what garantee do I have you will not annihilate them in their retreat?"

"Quite a few lives can be saved by your choice," he said. "Or would you rather add more blood to your lake?"

Jeanne looked down. She didn't want to add more bloodshed to her already overflowing sins, and whether or not this failed, there _would_ be so many lost. Nina had mentioned a rebellion that had targeted only the king, if that really was an option she would want that more than full out war. Perhaps she could break out if Charioce brought her along, or even if he put her back while Nina was here and could help her break out ...

Beyond Charioce, Nina banged on her metal door. "Stop bullying Jeanne!"

Charioce met her glare through the small window and sauntered over. He leaned down at the small window. "Are you enjoying prison?"

"Of course not!"

"Is that why you're trying to break out?" He nodded at the steel enforced door.

"It's because I have friends to save," Nina hissed. Actually hissed, in a way no human could. "And ... "

Jeanne couldn't hear what she said next.

"I see."

Her stomach chose to rumble right then.

A dim smile played on the corner of his lips. "Still the same, are you?"

The concern that might be so convincing if only he didn't direct it at a person he had chained up... Jeanne was used to it coming her way, but to hear it directed at Nina sent her blood boiling. What did he want from _her_? What had she done to tick him off so much he had a personal interest?

Nina kept her eyes on him and Jeanne could swear she saw the glitter of tears in the weak light.

The confusion took on a new level when Charioce gently said, "Would you dance with me again?"

"How could we even, when you put me _here_?" Nina choked on her words. Her face vanished, a small bang indicated she'd dropped her forehead against the door.

Jeanne couldn't even begin to guess what their deal was, but it appeared sure enough that Charioce played. He would play with the gods too, and her faith, and El. It tore Jeanne back to her resolve and out of the suffocating guilt.

Charioce turned back to Jeanne. "Have you made up your mind?"

"I will betray neither the gods you massacre, nor the humans who trust me to guide them to their welfare." Jeanne went to her knees, closed her eyes and prayed.

"I see. Then I have no choice. I will be breaking my promise to let you see your son before he dies, because he and your precious gods march to the slaughter."

Jeanne kept her face neutral, unaffected, but her thoughts ran rampant. She knew Charioce's cruelty well and had expected no less than such a threat. She prayed until a while after he left, but this time she asked neither for strength to endure until finding El, or answers on how to end Charioce. She needed some idea on how to help a friend, which was more than a little new.

After amen, she stood up and pressed against the bar again. Nina was sniffing behind her door, still holding it in as well as she could.

Softly, Jeanne asked, "Nina, what's going on with you and Charioce?"

"Nothing. Absolutely _nothing_." That was either a lie, or the truth about something Nina had believed.

"I know he must have had a reason to put you opposite of me, where he could expect to see you again next time he visits me," Jeanne said. "You ... uhm ... I will be here if you wish to talk."

After a long time with a few more sniffs, a strange sound started. Like skin slapping on rock, or perhaps punching it if skin was harder. The swell of power accompanied it, familiar as Nina's but a little more even. It didn't expand as fast, but obeyed a rough ebb and tide.

"Don't hurt yourself, that won't help anything," Jeanne said."

"It will if we get out. I just have. to. figure. out. how. to. _break_ rocks."

Jeanne tried to see what she did, but window of Nina's cell revealed nothing. The collar did not appear to activate ... it never did when internal power was used, or demon slaves would be useless.

After a moment's hesitation, she went to the corner of her cell and leveled up a stone. Below it lay a stolen piece of paper, onto which she had drawn a map of the tunnels across the years. Her fingers shook as she held it. It might be time to use it, already, when she had expected far longer to have a chance.

In a less than human voice, Nina continued, "We're getting _out_ of here, Jeanne. I'll help you find Mugaro and then I'll fix everything else. I swear."

The rock groaned under her blows, but didn't crack.

Nina's prior attempts at escape had been futile. As soon as they'd realized she was stronger they'd already kept an eye on her, and since the collar was on she had a handler always nearby. And escaping from the cell blocks was the least convenient, since it was furthest from the dock. Still, it had to happen tonight. Jeanne knew all too well the gods could mobilize much faster than humans could.

She folded the paper and kept it in her hand as she sat at the bars again. Perhaps Nina might find use in something that Michael had once told her about wielding Maltet, "Hold a weapon that becomes your body, but still exists out of you. It will never be you, but it will obey you as your body does. Breathe through it."

If only she could see as much as she could sense. Small changes happened in both the sounds and the flow, but she had no idea what it meant. Nina's powers were recognizable only insofar it was power, but the nature was entirely different.

The metal scent of blood became strong. Jeanne couldn't help but worry, but refrained from commenting again. If it came down to it, she herself would not mind bleeding if it meant escape.

Half of Nina's face appeared in the window.

"I don't think I'll be out soon," she said with an apologetic smile. The inhuman quality had subdued a little. "But I will keep practicing."

"They'll find out what you did in the morning."

"Let them," Nina said, her expression turning harsh, before she vanished again. "I'll live ... can you keep talking to me for a while? It helps."

"As long as you need."

 **· · · · · · ·**


	12. Crusade

**· · · · · · ·**

Life had almost gone back to normal and wham, war with the gods. Right on top of her head. Wonderful. Amazing. Exactly the sort of thing she'd normally teleport away from, but now she had a job with complications. Dammit.

Cerberus had a spot in the hills where she had installed a long distance communication beacon for quick updates to Helheim. The beacon was weak, not enough to really teleport independents, but also weak enough to avoid human magic trackers, and the thing itself was in a cave one could only teleport into. The screen flickered on at command, revealing Lucifer on his throne. Still reading the same book, of course, and radiant as ever — he'd fallen without the grueling process and so retained his divine aura. She always had to stare because pretty, even now.

"Lord Lucifer, may chaos spare you. We have a _slight_ situation," she said.

He didn't even look up from his book. "And what would that be?"

It wasn't like he'd smite her instantly or anything. He'd just be very disapproving and that was almost worse.

"We're pretty sure that human heritage offers resistance to the green stuff and Azazel planned a rebellion to defeat Charioce with this hybrid that he found. It didn't work. Charioce captured Azazel and put him in the arena. He's surviving, but ... Heaven also has a hybrid now. They're going to attack. We could use the chaos to break into the arena, but we could use help, if you please?"

Lucifer looked up by now, his eyes boring into her. "Why didn't you tell me _before_ it failed?"

"Well, you see, we had an agreement. If his rebellion worked and I helped out, I'd get a few things I really wanted. I figured you wouldn't send armies anyway, so we went ahead with it using only local people. And uh, I was afraid you'd shut it down."

"And then you wouldn't get what you wanted."

A silence fell, long enough for Cerberus to risk a subdued, "Lord Lucifer?"

"What do you expect me to do? Get countless of my people killed trying to save just one?"

"No! I have new fighters in place."

"Hybrids again?"

"Pacted humans also work," Cerberus said. "I wouldn't mind some reliable back up, but it's really the ability to get away that we need. He's kept in a place with walls charged with Dromos—"

"Dromos?"

"Oh, yeah, it turns out that's the name of the green stuff. That bounty hunter god told us."

"Can't he do anything?"

"He disappeared some time during the strike."

"As you all should have done when you had the chance. That hybrid should have been brought to me first thing."

"We initially didn't realize it was an immunity. Azazel just thought she was that powerful."

"The point stands. Anything else?"

"You're really not going to help, lord Lucifer?"

"I will not," he said. "They've got ways to cancel out immediate teleportation, it will likely do the same with gates, and I will not send more to their death."

"But the humans will be busy fighting the gods, there will be less enemies around!"

"You don't understand gods if you think that makes it safer for us. Whatever you do, don't be seen."

He shut the connection.

Dejected she popped back into her home.

Nils was in the foyer, fretting when he should be packing. She'd picked him cause he was one of those few him humans who more or less bothered to care about demons, so she didn't want him dead. He even paid them.

"Why are you still here? Get out! The gods will kill you if they win and find you colluding with demons!"

"Oh, are you sure? They are the gods, they won't kill a harmless old guy, right? I really don't want to go out there ... "

"No, they absolutely will." She grabbed the nearest bags and shoved him onto the street. "Dietlinde, you too, get the hell packing and scram!"

"I'm still a fugitive, bitch!" came from the restaurant.

Her core group came down the stairs.

"No luck. Al Miraj, anything useful you can tell us?" As a fallen moon rabbit, she might have some clue on Vanaheimr's methods. "Times, maybe?"

"Gabriel will not have made that announcement if she did not already have an army ready," Al Miraj said. "She will not give orders to target demons, but if they have survived Charioce, the judges will not hesitate to strike us down."

"Get me some nice positives in here," Cerberus grumbled. "Anything nice like a little skyship we can crash close to the arena or anything?"

Al Miraj shook her head. "Afraid not. There will be only one ship, their very best."

Not much use from them in getting azhole outta there either.

"Alright, you girls stay here and fortify. I'm keeping my eyes open for a safe route to my cave once the evacuation is over."

What else to do?

Belphegor's trio had been informed of her survival and her likely plans to break open the arena a little bit, and been told to stay out of the way. They were trivial, though Adva was told to hang out outside in case her flight was needed.

Durahanem had been taking care of the tiny hippogryph and the carriage of the gods. Cerberus had found it near the end of the trail to Bacchus and Hamsa, hiding in a crevice. It'd been convenient to take along, but she'd since been unable to grow it back to normal size. If she could though, the plan was to load it with Azazel and anyone else likely to attract a purg, with the enemy knowing he was gone. She had Durahanem take the set out anyway and told her to wait around the arena, in case Azazel's godly heritage could make a difference.

"Trismegistus, Walfrid!" When no answer came, she followed their scent down to the brothel's restaurant, where they were having a feast just between themselves and Dietlinde. They both got anxious during silence and constantly sought stimulation, so keeping them in one place was difficult. She jostled them into moving.

Favaro was asleep on a table in the attic like nothing was wrong. She almost considered trying right then and there to figure out physical pacts, which could be forced. But nah. She wasn't Martinet, it wouldn't work.

That all set, she figured she'd let the world burn and consider it done. If Lucifer would punish her later, if that time ever came, there was little else she could do to soften the blow now.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Among the former king's other bastards, Boruck was the most promising soon to be -soon-to be Charioce XVIII. Charioce XVII signed the order to recognize his royal lineage, which would have him brought into the palace and given further education. Boruck wasn't entirely a stranger to the court, having been among the candidates for the throne ten years ago. Charioce had convinced him to abdicate, and the man had been smart enough to recognize the trail of harassment and bodies he might otherwise have joined.

It was last minute to introduce him to the power of Dromos, but it would have to work out, if he himself didn't survive.

The form signed, he sat back and looked out of the window, allowing himself a moment of rest.

His eyes fell on the island, visible just barely through the window. She'd be there, toiling under the rocks until her soon to come death. No doubt the giant Dromos would level the entire island, crushing her along with everyone else.

... he _could_ evacuate the island. The workers could be useful elsewhere. _She_ could be useful elsewhere. Order knew he could use the money from selling her, or even renting her out. The issue of her rebellious voice could be fixed.

She didn't _have_ to die. He could fail this test without catastrophic consequences, or so it seemed.

If only she had never entered his life, he wouldn't be tormented by these choices. He had all the power of the world at his beck and call, it was so easy to stray from his goal.

Chris raised his hand and a servant approached. So easy to command them the message for an evacuation to be set in motion.

The servant waited.

He cast another look at the island. Memories of their dances, their meetings and her laughter played through his head. His heart sped up, treacherous with wishing for her return. The simple, empty joy she represented.

All he had to do to be rid of this weakness was nothing.

The servant still waited, eyes respectfully down.

"Never mind," Charioce said.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Favaro woke up from a nap feeling rather more urgent about saving Nina. It wasn't anything big, and it wasn't anything new, he wouldn't have paid it any heed if he didn't know as he did.

Amira sat opposite of him at the coffee table he'd been leaning on, a serious look on her currently demonic face. She had that determined, worried _fate is up to something_ look, but unlike usual, she didn't move.

He pulled out an earlier picture of Nina on the island. She just nodded and tapped two fingers straight down, the gesture for _now_.

It wasn't out of character for himself to consider any of what he had considered just now. That was the devious part of it. Nothing about the mechanics of fate was really noticeable. Mostly. He'd never really been able to make sense of some of the decisions of the gods and demons ten years ago.

It didn't always serve to defy fate just for the sake of defying it, but that didn't stop him from fretting over it. Did he _really_ determine his own life? Did fate adjust to his inclinations or steer them outright? Was fate using that he wanted to save Nina, or was him wanting it fate? There were plenty of people within this world that weren't suspecible to direct influence by fate. For all its power, it hadn't been able to either predict or prevent the birth of Gilles De Rais.

One thing that wouldn't do for either him nor fate was to stall. He wanted Nina saved, fate wanted it, and they wanted it now.

The obvious thing to do would be to jump onto a boat and rescue her himself. Who knew what would happen on the island? He had a few smoke bombs, Amira to serve as extra eyes, and potentially fate. But that's where decisions came in. That'd be what fate wanted.

Maybe he could try something else.

What little he knew of the _standard_ demonic pact came from Amon, who had been free to go about his life and retain his powers. If Azazel had any strong hold on him through magical means, it wasn't apparent in the way Martinet's infection had been. Amon just stood to risk losing his powers and possibly life if Azazel hadn't liked what he'd done. Cerberus might be a similar threat, or not. She was rather more airy.

There was the question whether him stalling taking that pact was also fate, and to what degree the idea actually depended on there being a distracting chaos to accompany a jailbreak. Ah well. He got up, found Cerberus amid the packing up and said, "Yo, I changed my mind. I'll make a deal with you and help you with whatever thing you want to do in this city if you go rescue Nina."

 **· · · · · · ·**

The chants were audible before they even past the forest between castle and upper district.

"No war with the gods!" Over and over, until they reached the gates of the castle itself. They'd never get through, but the noise was a bother, and worse, an insult to the sovereign power.

"Silence them," Kaisar said.

Dias nodded and went to give the organize exactly that. It didn't take long before the lower knights marched out, and went to work on the citizens. No swords, but beatings and kicks in armor cause plenty of lessons.

Kaisar kept an eye on the event from up the walls, to ensure they didn't go too far, which was where Athos joined him. The man's skills had gotten him a high rank among the knights, but no official leadership role yet. Simply, too good to waste on this.

This man now grimaced at the sight. "Teutoikas has the potential for grandness, this is unbefit to it."

"Surely peace will return after his majesty's victory," Kaisar said, as befit to his station. Never question the king openly.

"These are _our_ people, foolish however they be. Such treatment is to be reserved for demons," he said.

"My knights were trained as per the instructions of the king. Revolt must be met with strict countermeasures."

"That was a peaceful protest," Athos said.

"I won't be once it gets out of control. These are just the early stages," Kaisar said. "Better to subdue them now than after the war."

Athos gave him a long, cold look and walked off, muttering something about the king just wanting silence.

A little later, Lao in dragon form swooped over the walls and landed on the wide street. _That_ got the crowd to disperse without further violence. Kaisar felt a twinge of regret he hadn't thought of this.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The gods only had a single warship, but El was assured it was all they needed. Gabriel was pricklier than usual though, and El wondered how much _needed_ meant. Not that ne knew much about it, nur mother had never said much about warfare.

Under Gabriel the general was Badb Catha, an angelic war goddess. Maybe it was the kind of specialization Bacchus and Hamsa had spoken of. She was another one of the rare gods who still could, despite the lack of faith, invoke the energy inaccessible to most. If so it was a little strange though that war would be something that could fuel heaven.

Urlain, Reinier, Baldr, Camael and Martiel were the five core warriors who would advance on the city. They'd be flanked by a second wave of common soldiers led by Dione, Schwertleite, Surtr, Gracchus and Shiva; the latter three not winged but competent enough with a floating platform to be reliable.

Surtr and Camael had the ability to control fire. Most of heaven did not burn easily, but the city would. A smokescreen, Badb Catha said. El worried in silence. Sure, the city would be evacuated, but didn't people have to live somewhere afterward? They had a dragon anyway and all the related wing magic anyway.

There were ways to fight that avoid so much damage, and people who at least somewhat thought of it. So El spoke up.

"I want to take down the arena first," El said. "If we free the slaves there will have a lot of extra soldiers."

El couldn't pin point why it was unpleasant to say anything that didn't mesh with Gabriel, but it was a feeling ne got fed up with.

"Those slaves are all demons, El," Gabriel said evenly.

"Yes, it's where they keep the strongest," El said. "They'll help."

"Lady Gabriel, the demons have aided us before against Bahamut," Sofiel said.

"They only did so at the last minute, when they had no choice," Gabriel said. "We will not be adding trouble to this delicate operation, and I wonder what makes you desire such trouble. Perhaps it has anything to do with someone in the arena?"

Everyone stared, and it was that same uncomfortable, judged feeling as when humans looked too long.

"We will talk of this later," Gabriel said. "All you have to do is go out there, and from your safe distance disable the enemy's accursed power. All else will be handled by gods who know what they are doing."

None of the others heeded El. They didn't even really wait for Gabriel to finish talking as they filed out.

"Make sure not to touch the arena," Gabriel said, after them. "We cannot use the _extra problems_."

A few stopped and acknowledged it, then it was just El, Gabriel, Sofiel and the pilot in the central room.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne's voice had gone dry hours ago. She'd kept talking, but it became less and less. Nina didn't ask her anymore to keep talking, not if it hurt.

By the time the torches had burned out and a little bone stuck out of her bloody knuckles, it was clear the cells weren't going to be emptied today by the guards. All the better for them. Nina could still see because the pink glow surrounded her. Just weak tendrils, not strong enough to pull her to the other side yet, like her instincts were on high alert. Couldn't change into a dragon, not here, but locking it up entirely wasn't good either.

Try again. And again, and again, until her power was sharp. All her force used to lift, concentrated on one point. She couldn't make it a knife, but she could limit the range of a whole boulder to one point.

The screws at the edge of of the door squeaked. Nina gasped with the first sting of victory. Perhaps she hadn't outright cracked the rock, but it was something. She went all the way to the back of her cell and ran right ahead, launching a kick at it.

With a loud clang, the entire steel wall fell down. Nina was at Jeanne's cell right away, setting her hands between the bars. Pushing with all her strength, she bent them apart. Jeanne was so thin, she managed to squeeze through without much effort.

When out, Jeanne held out a map. "The work of years."

Nina smiled and leaned over, letting the dim light of herself shine upon it. "Oh, you can draw well!"

They ran down the hall, into the upper levels. Nina was ready to fight whoever came their way, but nobody met them. Even if something exploded, they would just be put to work elsewhere, so it couldn't be that. But Nina hadn't been here that long.

"Where are the guards?" Nina asked. "Rachel said there never were days off ... "

"They just left some time during the night," one of the prisoners around them said. "Say, glowy girl, can you get us a key?"

"I know where the main station is, they may still have the keys there," Jeanne said. "Nina?"

"Of course!"

Jeanne gave her directions along with the map, and Nina ran.

The torches had gone out everywhere, so her glow was the only light. The guard stations were all abandoned too. Nina grabbed all the keys and every torch and lighter she found, stuffed them in a bag and hoped people could read the tags to know which went where.

Jeanne met her halfway and led her to the cell block where Rachel was first; said she wanted someone she knew could help organize the outbreak. Nina didn't really get it, wasn't everyone gonna run?

When they stepped into this hall, a lot of murmurs rose from the dark.

"I think I see scales ..."

"So there really was a demon sentenced here!"

"Enough!" Jeanne called. "Nina is in the same place as all of us, and if you ever reach freedom it will be because of her."

Nina reached into the bag and pulled out one of the keys.

The women quieted. Jeanne set a fresh torch on a holder and after finding the right key, she started unlocking the cells. One by one took long, so Nina went to the other end of the hall to do things her way.

Jeanne took control of the emerging group, choosing the strongest and sending them off to unlock the other blocks. To Nina's surprise, she was good at compelling people to cooperated, she hadn't imagined it from her subdued ways.

Rachel got the rest of her crew out, and Nina got some more suspicious looks. Once Jeanne had chosen a few more sub leaders, she gathered them in a group and said, "We are on the eve of war with the gods. If we get out, it may very well be into the middle of a siege. Many of you have these green gems leeching on you. If you come across a god who feels threatened by it, tell them you are an ally of me, Jeanne d'Arc."

"How do you know there's gonna be a siege?" Rachel asked.

A few muttered disbelief she was even Jeanne d'Arc at all, but Jeanne said, "Did you hear rumor Charioce recently visited? They're true. He wanted to persuade me to call off the war, because someone I know is a key figure. I rejected, of course. This is a chance to get off the island, but also a reason for concern. A siege shouldn't mean that all stations are deserted. We must be prepared for something unusual, so report to me or any of the subleader anything out of the ordinary. Understood?"

"Yes, saint Jeanne," more than a few said. Nina saw a bitter twitch on Jeanne's face, which she smoothed away quickly.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"And my father was beaten up when he attended a protest. He can't walk right, let alone help pull what we hope to secure," Felicia said. "Are we even going to make it up the hills? I'm sure the captain can arrange something for you, but who am I to impose?"

The housekeeper clearly wanted to impose, Belphegor knew. "Hard topic to breach, isn't it? Dear captain, you ordered my father beaten, now help him get out? I could breach it for you, if he shows up today at all."

"Oh, he won't," she said, picking back up the basket of sheets she'd been collecting. "He never does when there's big things going on. And this is bigger than anything yet. A war with the gods! Honestly what is the king thinking?"

Felicia ended up declining an offer to help packing, so Belphegor let her legs rest a little more before she had to leave. There was expected to be a lull after one or the other side won, then she would move. The siege itself she wouldn't risk. After that, whatever happened, she would be gone. Belphegor had been here a little over three weeks, the fact that she could walk without crutches at all would rouse suspicion, she wasn't gonna risk longer anyway.

One of Cerberus's dogs had dropped by with the message there would be helped and she better have some bombs, little more. Tasro and Rocky would have to go somewhere. She had nowhere to send them, though many a child had found their way to the slums on their own, and Tasro was healthier now after good sleep and food. They'd be alright, probably. Wishing that was all she could afford.

She was just in the middle of folding up her little laboratory when something dark flickered into being, opposite of her spot at the table. Belphegor froze.

Horns sprouted where her eyes would have been once. Dark gray, and leather wings, plates covering her at random. A fallen angel who had given into chaos entirely, uncanny in ways that had no immediate cause.

"Who are you?" Belphegor whispered.

"A curious one." That felt absurd at once, because only people — not things and phenomenons — could be curious.

Tasro clutched at her arm, Belphegor felt the same need to hold onto someone. This thing was ...

Gone already.

Indescribable, she wouldn't even know whether it was hollow or malicious or obsessed.

After time she couldn't measure, spent shaking, the door opened and Felicia stumbled in.

She shook just as much as she said, "Did you see it? Did you?"

"Yeah, we did," Tasro said while Belphegor still sought her voice.

"I thought this accursed mist made us see illusions, but I suppose there isn't enough in here ..."

Belphegor had no way to contest that without revealing herself, and little interest either. Her own curiosity didn't stand up to how wrong that _whatever_ had been.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The distant crowd outside didn't mean anything to him, humans roaring over one or another thing. He'd heard the rumor of the war. Mugaro might show up today if the gods were so foolish to bring her out here. Would she bother coming here, had they already told her of his past? He might find out soon. He might not. Mugaro might die too, and he couldn't even wish to go back to the days when something like that hadn't mattered to him.

A circle appeared on the ceiling, where the power of Dromos was not directly installed. Out of it leaked an oily form that hardened into someone only barely recognizeable as a fallen angel.

He'd heard of her as Angra Mainyu.

Once her presence would have set him on high alert, now he couldn't muster to care.

"You found a way to fall deeper." Her voice was dry as the moon, all life wrung from it. "And you left your sworn brother. Why?"

"Who cares."

"Ironically, I do."

"Don't lie, you never do."

"I always do." With that she vanished, and he was too tired to even think about what was up.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The city grew quiet during the evening, the evacuation complete save for the demon zones. Now, the much renowned Olivia made her first official entrance to Cerberus by just sitting in a poofy chair, with tea one of Cerberus's girls had served. That seemed enough of a truce sign, albeit rude — she hadn't been invited — so Cerberus figured she might as well ask.

"No, I will not help you on such a silly errand," Olivia said. "Honestly, I am too busy."

"Aren't you allied to lord Lucifer?"

Olivia tilted her head. _As if._ "I am aware of you and your lord's loyalty to the morning star and while I greatly respect either, I owe them not my energy."

"Lord Lucifer might not like it if he learns we left his favorite general rot."

 _"_ Freeing anyone from the arena shall be redundant once I am done with my efforts," Olivia said. "And with all due respect, the morning star has done little more than represent the chief of the moderate faction by grace of being the most powerful entity within. He had ample time to unite the scattered tribes under his rule, yet he still lives in his library. The allies of the bygone lord of flies drift as they ever do, while the morning star's own allies scarcely have grown greater loyalty to him. Even the scapegoat went his own way."

"Uh huh," Cerberus said. "And where does that put you?"

"Here." She sat back with a content smile. "The abyss gains greatly from the one who has no leader, yet the earl of lies starves in his wake. I desire an outcome where both my dearest allies thrive."

"Call'em by their names already, I don't know all these titles."

Olivia just kept stirring her tea like she hadn't heard a thing. Cerberus had been in her presence for mere minutes and hated her already, even though she had no solid reason. Just the way she did things.

"I suppose you didn't come here just to turn me down. What was that about, when your servant came by to check out whether spiderweb burns, hmm?"

"It was for the purpose of a coalition of powers."

Olivia snapped her fingers. From the shadows emerged a humanoid man with the head and legs of a fanged deer, thick antlers and batlike wings that appeared crafted from wood more than flesh and bone. From the membrance hung arms, while the withered lower body dragged after with a burning tail. Stringy white hair fell down from its head and its eyes were pitch black, framing a sense of agelessness. Jarring to the infernal appearance was the soft edge of white feathers across the frame of the wings.

Cerberus whistled. "Now that's a nasty piece of work. Nice. Where'd you find that one?"

"The scrapyard," she said, which prompted snickers from the demon.

"Do you have a name you can tell me? Something that isn't a fancy title?" Cerberus asked him.

"Furfur," it croaked.

"Right," Cerberus blinked. "On second thought maybe you should stick with whatever title she gave you."

"Do pardon me, but are the names of your little dogs not something of similar tone?" Olivia asked. "Where are they, anyway?"

"They are cute, it fits them!" she said. "And they're running errands because I have my priorities right at least."

Olivia shrugged. "Well, I may have those errands include not coming into my way."

"Don't get in mine either," Cerberus said. "And we should get along just fine."

"Ah, a deal? Naturally. I have no spite with the hound of Hades." She crooked her finger. "Weaver, I shall have your service tonight, because indeed, she does not need you as I do."

Cerberus narrowed her eyes. Forced or not, she had taken in this miserable lot. They were hers now.

"Or _do_ we have spite?" Olivia asked.

Sort of only. It wasn't her rebellion. "No, we do not."

Arachna inched forward and Olivia opened a gate for them. Furfur pulled Arachna through it, while Olivia teleported away.

A coalition for what, exactly?

 **· · · · · · ·**

Oh dear, not so good. Adva withdrew the tendril of water from the ceiling and sat up. "None of them are making plans to help the slums, and Arachna's gone."

Kolraun and Durahanem looked ready to throw any plans, and she couldn't blame them. Durahanem at most had physical strength, which at most helped in digging people out of rubble afterward. She could ask Tipa to share the song, but she hadn't really joined the rebellion, and Adva knew all too well isn't fair to ask for aid from those just trying to survive. Bringing Tipa out into a war zone wasn't something she was keen on anyway.

There were some others though, based on rumors she'd heard in her life cycling through castles of high lords. She suggested the other two remain in place and went alone.

They were at their usual elevator spot still; Malphas smoked and Divesepid chewed some animal carcass while looking all too calm. Had to be the ages.

"Hey," she said softly. "A word, please."

Malphas lowered her bottle and glared. Swallowing her nervousness, Adva pointed at the wall. The riverside of the ghetto were walls that lay way below the water surface. Only solid magically enforced rock prevented the rivers from eroding it away.

"If anything of that breaks, this place is going to flood," she said. "We can't expect the gods to be careful. Malphas, I heard that in your glory days you specialized in construction. Is this true?"

Malphas looked skyward and grudgingly said, "I suppose."

"I can deal with the water a little, help us fortify the earth, please."

"Well ... it's not strictly speaking rebellion," Divesepid said. "And we do need living customers."

"Bah. Alright." Malphas planted her bottle down too hard and it shattered. "But we're out the moment the gods so much as look funny at us."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Preparations for war kept Kaisar to late hours at the castle, which met its end when Charioce gave speech. His words were of glory, of ascending to their proper place in the world, of pride. One line stood out in particular which Kaisar could not shake.

"This war has no room for knightly chivalry. Our differences require merciless, unrelenting harshness to be met. Rid yourself of obsolete ideals."

Besides him, Dias gave forced cheers while Allesand hollered with all of his might. _Down with the gods_ , a sentiment much stronger in the castle than on the streets.

If there was one thing that both sides had in common now, it was that they called his ideals obsolete. How could he side with either, when these ideals were the very foundation of his life?

When he returned home on a bad whim, Belphegor was filling up a backpack. Rocky darted over the table to help her; he had slipped into the role of assistant with practiced ease.

"Did you actually discover anything useful from that rock?" he asked.

Scientist mode tickled, Belphegor forgot packing at once. "I don't know! If I break it down to its components, I get a bunch of random conductive elements. All conductives that mean nothing when put together. Most of them are things I can find around your house. Silver, iron, wood dust. Amber is the only thing I couldn't find here, but it doesn't have special properties anyway. It shouldn't make a difference." She ran a hand through her messy hair. "I know I'm missing something big, it's not some kind of inherent magic. It's more like it invokes something, so that might be blocked. But it also means I can't really examine it in detail."

Having no clue what any of that meant, he set it aside and said, "Felicia is still packing down there. Following her you might be able to get out of the city within the chaos and it wouldn't look strange right now to go around cloaked."

"No, she's gonna be busy helping the father that you ordered beaten up," she said, resuming her packing. "Anyway, I _will_ be leaving, but on my own. Lord Azazel might survive the arena, but not any gods who feel like culling us while we are weak. Especially if they recognize him."

She stood up on weak legs, tied the backpack in place. The table was mostly cleaned up, the canister closed and the tools either stored or poking out of the backpack. He couldn't stop her, now she had reason to expect empty streets. Whatever she did probably would get people killed, so it still felt like he ought to stop her. Matter of duty. That probably didn't matter to those locked in the arena, though.

As she closed the last straps on her backpack, she asked, "And what are you going to do this fine night?"

"The king says we must fight without honor, but I think—"

"Spare me that. I can't hold your honor and it seems you yourself can't even do anything with it," Belphegor said. "I meant about Azazel. Despite the odds, I'd hoped you'd help."

"Tonight? I could have arranged something on longer terms, maybe when the arena gets a new batch of fighters, but ..."

She didn't have to cut him off this time, her sharp look was enough. Enough postponing, he guessed.

"I have to defend my capital against the gods," he said instead. "Surely you understand this is a crisis situation."

She didn't answer at first, leaning down with the child, giving instructions on what to do after the streets were empty. When she stood, she looked him right in the eye.

"So you will fight even the gods? I don't expect your care for the demons, your alleged chivalry aside, but the ancient ally of humankind? Doesn't it at all bother you to learn that your king holds captive your captain, the chosen saint of the gods?" Belphegor asked. "What was she to you, if anything? Nothing, just like the gods?"

Kaisar had done a very good job at not thinking about that right until now. He chose to just answer the last part.

"She was my captain and the saint of our people. She led us to many a victory even without her lost magic, a skilled leader. The people loved her and she inspired them, as she did us."

"A hero, an idol, I see. Was she your friend too, or your adviser, your comrade? Whatever it must be, it can't be greater than what you feel for Charioce XVII. Come on, I have some time yet, I find your silence on your king more engaging than your honor. Answer me."

Quick, divert. "What is Azazel to you, that you risk yourself to save him?"

He didn't quite go as far as saying he would risk himself for his own king, how it was the same. Right?

"I admired Azazel because he came to our aid when we thought ourselves abandoned. I saw the decay of old indifference and the chance for our tribe to truly shine. Since then I've learned he's rotten enough to deserve the fear of humans, yet I wasn't entirely off. I would still call him savior, I might call him my friend too. What is he to you, that his fate concerns you at all? Can you at least answer that?"

"He destroyed my family, ruined my life, and would have had me kill my best friend. If I can forgive even him and live my life better, it is my strength. Other than that, he is but a wayward demon on my path."

"Ah, just your chivalry specified. Well, Charioce did all of that to me an thousands of others," she said. "He's still doing it. You have a luxury : you don't have to consider forgiveness while Azazel continues to target either you or others you care about. And I have one luxury you don't : regardless of what I think of Azazel, he is one of the few chances my people have while lord Lucifer is in ..." She didn't trust him enough to say where. "So I have no fretting to do over whether I should save him, and much to gain for my people. If you have not enough care for my people, you might at least consider what your saint can do for your own."

He stood stock still, staring at the table. It only held the open canister now, the gem within it shining dimly, and Rocky probably staring back.

Belphegor was almost out the door, but paused and leaned back to say. "Or you could go beat up a few more your citizens. Azazel never asked me to do anything like that. I wonder what I'm missing out on."

Then she was gone, staggering out of the house.

The child ran to the window and waved after her, but Rocky faced Kaisar with pinky and thumb crossed. The middle three fingers were crooked. Kaisar got the distinct impression of a judgmental frown.

"Don't look at me like that! What am I supposed to do? What can I do? I'm just a captain!"

Rocky pried the canister open, grabbed the gem and planted it in his palm. He pointed at Kaisar, back at the rock, then at himself, while the rock blended into the flesh.

Rita had often joked Rocky was their son, but once she's said it was part of him, given life on memories of the same source that made zombies under an illusion fog resemble the past, minus the fog. So when Rocky launched at him, crawled down his arm and settled in his old spot, he wasn't sure whether he really disagreed.

Beyond cooperation, this time it was merging. The rock pushed a sickening yet exhilarating rush up his arm, into his lungs, heart, further to his neck. He learned that the soul is only harnessed within a single organ in his head and all set askew in a way that had him see the edges of matter and magic. From the vessels of his blood to the pockets of energy that he might invoke to cast spells, to the fibers of his own mind. A vast realm of control at his disposal, but altogether lacking the knowledge to use most of it.

The invasive power coursed free through his body, bolstering what it saw fit and uncaring for the pain it caused. There was a mild tug in his forged arm that kept it from taking over entirely. Ultimately it was still Rocky, an independent being, that held the stone.

Kaisar had just long enough to remember that when Rita detached her arms she could launch and control it still, before Rocky anchored in the fabric of the world and pulled him out of the room. His head hit the doorway, but Rocky just kept pulling. All he could do was run after, past a baffled Felicia, stumbling over what she'd packed and out the door, onto his still saddled unicorn.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Favaro sat in the crook of a chimney, observing the city and waiting for Amira.

Over the hills across the river, the clouds parted for a massive golden, radiant gate disc. Descending came a white ship of segments in a near complete circle. Nothing like the crude ships of hell, old rock mounted on skybeasts.

The king's armies went to war, shadowplay against the radiance. Any other time it might have been mistaken for light versus darkness, when the world was simpler.

A single bright star emerged from the ship's centerpiece at the end, while other segments released smaller points of light.

Front line were a giant alight with fire and a smaller angel with similar fiery reign. Not good, this city was as flammable as any. Smart, though. Maybe he'd have to get out of the city — the demons would be fine, he would not.

And then, just like that, the giant fell, as did his companion. It happened so swift and anti climatic he had to do a double take.

Yep, they really were down. Huh. None of the other gods descending met this fate. Looked like _someone_ wasn't into competition.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"What?" Gabriel said.

"Camael's gone," Reinier reported.

On the screen, Surtr buckled through his knees before being enfulged with purple energy dragging him under. She couldn't get a closer view, something blocked the magic.

"Reinier, report!" Gabriel asked.

"Some kind of demon" he said through the link. "They teleported too fast for us to see. What shall we do?"

"Proceed," Gabriel said without hesitation.

Sofiel wanted to scout this problem out, the fog was already suspicious enough, something was _wrong_. Granted, she couldn't tell what. For all she knew, this was her just sensing war. She knew war from theory, but had never dwelled on it, so she kept her tongue and worried in silence. Over everything. The outcome, El, Jeanne, and she didn't have enough heart to handle that all. So she just didn't think about it.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The prison elevator was up, of course. No amount of strength would get it to stop being up, no one to threaten into lower it around.

"It's up by default exactly to counteract outbreak," Rachel said. "That's what makes this such an effective prison : the only two ways out are locked from the outside."

"What's the other way out?" Nina asked while forcing away the disappointment.

"The rock deposit, from years ago when they had demons hollow out the island," Rachel said. "It's unused except for when they bring in things, giant stone tablets according to the rumors. That hasn't happened for years now, but it's at water level so maybe you can punch it open. And I bet you'll have to."

When they arrived at the emptied quarry hole, Rachel turned out right : the entrance had been sealed up by collapsing it. They hadn't intended to bring in more of whatever it was, or bring it out again.

If Nina hadn't been starving and exhausted, she could have tossed the rubble aside with ease. This would take longer, but she went to work anyway. Over time more people drooped in to join at the sides, clearing rocks with makeshift levers. The glow around Nina faded, for better or worse.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Allesand hated this. The gods plowed through soldiers, sorcerers and knights alike. The Onyx Knights were nowhere to be found. Kaisar had vanished, so here he was, hiding behind a wall with Dias. If Dias died too, Allesand would be in charge. He _had_ wanted the glory, but not like this! He'd be dead sooner if they learned he was the leader. He'd be dead anyway if they got any closer!

And then, to make things worse, Kaisar showed up running through the hall with incoherent yelps. He had his hand raised, showing off a shining green gem.

Oh, that did it. "Why did _he_ just get a promotion? It's not fair! He already has so much!"

Kaisar skitted to a halt before them, almost toppling over, his hand still raised. The green gem was ... was that a new hand? It came with regeneration powers too?

"Dias, where is the district master of the arena?" Kaisar asked.

"Dead," Dias said. "Where were you and why do you need him? How did you even get one of those things?... and a new hand?"

"It comes with the package," Kaisar said, dripping with pride no doubt. "Anyway, I need the spell for the zommorod floor trap."

"We could use you leading here," Dias said. Not what Allesand would have asked. Kaisar was probably on some super secret mission for the king now he had this promotion.

"Dias, please tell me where you think I can find the code."

Allesand would bet he could've done it just as well. It really wasn't fair.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Charioce's troops fell like flies. The child's power was tremendous now he had wings, or perhaps it was guidance he had lacked before. It didn't just cut off the power of Dromos, it knocked out anyone it touched. Wyverns and riders alike went down, and even the skybeasts trembled under it. No more betting the father was Michael himself.

Well then. He stood up from his throne. "Prepare a route for my passage to the island. Prioritize over anything else, have Merlin be primary cover."

Imamu bowed before saying, "Your majest, please reconsider. You were never meant to wield Dromos twice."

Reconsider how, to what point? If he failed now, then he would have failed the second time. He _would_ win.

"Must I repeat myself?"

"... No, your majesty."

 **· · · · · · ·**

In lieau of that last boulder, Nina got her first breath of fresh air in weeks. It was still night. The river rushed on in cold, stirred by falling wyverns and their riders. A scorched giant lay a little bit off the shore, sending a sickening bloody scent over the water. Beyond was the city, its upper district burning a little, and the castle surrounded by stars.

Heedless a few people ran into the waves. Most of them were torn along and vanished below the waves.

"Damn fools. Nobody here's fit to swim," Rachel muttered. "We gotta get some of the boats they keep on the stairway side. Failing that, we can tear down the building atop, I doubt they took along the furniture."

"Once at shore we could steal a boat for the others," Jeanne said, but it didn't get much enthusiasm. Nina didn't blame them, why would they want to go back to the island after escaping?

A poof of sound from the halls caused everyone to turn around to the entrance. "Ah, I thought I heard something."

"Cerberus!" Nina ran up to her. "And Mimi and Coco. How did you find us?"

"The noise. We wre looking all over for you inside, but your blood all over the place was confusing. Too much Dromos too, I hate it," she said. "Anyway, hold still. This is going to eat my own energy."

Cerberus grabbed her by the arm, expanding her magic with a satisfied grin. "Good, this place has no anti teleportation. Hold still now ..."

Nina jerked loose, letting her last transformation power flare. Cerberus growled. "Don't do that, that's the kind of thing that blocks it!"

"It's supposed to," she said. "I'm not done here."

Cerberus cast a disdainful look at the humans. "Oh for chaos's sake. Really? Look, we got nothing useful, not even the carriage. You choose : leave with me, or rot here."

A silence fell, while Nina tried to think up an answer. No dragon; some of the freed men might've been attractive by they were too sickly now. Would Cerberus know how to kill her just slowly enough to trigger it? Could she even trust herself to bother swimming these people across?

"Cerberus? The Cerberus? Uh ... can you by any chance turn into a giant dog?" someone in the crowd asked.

"Yeah that one," Nina said. "It's her puppets that turn into giant dogs, though ... hmm."

"Hmm what?"

Nina snatched Mimi and Coco off her hands. "Hey, puppies, do you wanna help? We're just playing reverse fetch, you bring something away from the boss lady, got it?"

The plan was simple, have them drag people along as they swam, and Nina knew just the thing for that. Cerberus sputtered, but caved and sent her dogs along to the elevator.

A new cluster of people had gathered there, recently freed. Nina directed them to the fresh exist, while the dogs popped away to the top. Pretty soon they reappeared. "We loosened the bolts up there, give it a shot."

Nina broke open the cabin, braced a foot below a jutted rock and pulled at the chains. It brought down the entire upper platform, but she did get the chains.

Back at the riverside Mimi took one of the chains in her mouth, while the prisoners tried tying themselves to it as good as possible. Nina would hold up the chain for as long as possible. After range ended, they'd have to go underwater for a short bit, but Mimi assured them she could swim across quick enough to prevent drowning.

While Mimi walked into the water slowly to give the people holding onto the chain a chance to get used to the cold, the forest around Charioce's castle started burning.

Cerberus flicked her tail as she leaned on the edge, calm until she tensed up. "Oh hell. Everyone, back away from the entrance!"

"What's the matter?" Nina leaned around the edge.

A boat crossed the water at high speed, pulled by a large fish. On it stood a pale shape, cape waving in the winds. All around the divine armies gathered, forced off by a single but powerful magician on a dragon ... wait ... it was too dark to see, but didn't the shape match one of her village?

"What's the king doing here now?" Cerberus said.

Nina was torn between turning away and taking a dive. Instead of either, she took Jeanne by the arm and pulled her away from the crowd. Jeanne gave her a curious look, letting it happen.

"Whatever reason he's coming down here for can't be good. I'm going to help the people still back there. If I get captured ... " She pressed her lips together for a moment. "My full name is Ninati Navrátil. I can't be summoned on the basic name of a dragon or humans, but it should work with my specific name."

"I can't summon," Jeanne said.

"Oh. Okay ... but maybe you'll run into Rita. Please keep my name safe anyway, okay?"

Jeanne nodded. "By the gods, I will."

Cerberus still stared outside. Quickly, Nina grabbed a torch and went back into the tunnels.

 **· · · · · · ·**

As he approached the island, Dromos began to awaken. The early momentum only pushed a single vein out of the earth, sporting the pilot platform. His sorcerers made a stairway of magic circles, which he ascended with a steady pace. Merlin held the enemy at bay well enough to allow him the concentration he needed.

The platform looked meager, just wood and metal. Only the control panel had a radiant green point. Taking seat, he stuck his hand into the glowing opening.

Dromos latched on. The trivial concern fell away when the barrage of sensation pushed into his mind. Familiar enough, it had been there the moment he put that bracelet on his hand, but this ... this was everything. He might as well _be_ Dromos now. The force like an extension of his body, but not outright the muscle. Just the flesh. Uncontrollable yet, it encapsulated him, grew like a tree until top unfolded, producing a singular, gigantic sphere untouched by gravity. Himself the very heart of it.

Forced into his mind was every rock as it scattered under the touch of Dromos. A morbid, weak part of him wondered whether any of the corpses the black matter touched was Nina.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina got lost halfway through, found a few more cells to open and got directions, only for a deafening roar to throw her off her feet. Dromos's power rippled through everything. The rock split open all around, the wood of the walkways splintered under solid darkness.

She turned and ran, no time to think, knew she couldn't get out. Nobody else could keep up, and even she was not fast enough.

A rock hit her in the back and threw her against the wall, just around the corner. She spun around and braced her hands against the mass, as if trying to lift it, pushing with all her might and magic to keep it from crushing her. She could lift boulders, but not herself out of this grave.

 **· · · · · · ·**

He had to own it, both this power and the weaknesses of his heart were a distraction. The sphere was the muscle, controlled by the unique gem on his wristband. The cheat code, access to fast power if only his mind would bend it. He wasn't facing Bahamut as intended, but perhaps this was the exercise he needed.

And a worthy exercise it was. So many gods lined up to kill. Now that the world knew what he did, he couldn't ask for a better retaliation. The holy stood out in clarity, despite being surrounded by this mass. His left eye burned, and almost as if to match the way his power worked, Charioce's won left eye started to pulse with power.

Dromos geared up for battle. It sought a form and ... was going to take his hand. This was just silly. He was going to have a word with Chabrol about how this thing was built, and make sure he could use a more epic proxy next time, like his sword.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The _world tearing apart_ was a metaphor that no longer was worth using, when the truth of it was _this_. An abomination within the structure of life itself. The rising black mass unfolded into a gigantic hand, drawing together all the raw force of the foreign power. El could know no greater flaw in the world, though ne had yet to meet Bahamut.

"Dromos!" Gabriel cried out. She'd spoken of it before, warned of it, but hadn't believed humans would be able to create, let alone control it.

"Retreat! Everyone, return to the ship now!" Gabriel's voice echoed within the center and far outside.

The voice of Reinier came through, objecting indirectly. They were almost at the castle, and had reason to suspect Charioce might even be off the secure area; no diversion puppet under Merlin. Almost had won. Why retreat now?

"Why aren't they retreating?" Gabriel muttered.

El didn't know about the others, but had nur own reason clear enough. Finding use for neglected telekinesis, ne grabbed the control panel and squeezed. The flicker of an unused halo guided it to clarity and it exploded. Disbelieving, Gabriel turned around.

"No!" It wasn't that difficult anymore to sound harsh. "We haven't saved anyone yet!"

El stretched nur hands and seized the channels of the ship, pushing all nur power into it as a conductor. Nur left eye burned, pulsed, almost ached, but it had to be done. Now. Nur mother was on that island and that abomination was in the way.

"El, that is Dromos itself," Gabriel said. "A force of raw destruction on par with Bahamut, you cannot fight it like this!"

El smirked. "I can, and I _will_."

The giant hand forged a sphere of power, concentrated illness. El charged the entire ship with nur own power, found the cannon system, pushed it into a single ray.

The hand fired at the same time, meeting it into an explosive center. The shockwave sent the water rushing away, the trees crumbled, the warriors out the sky. El couldn't afford to help them, only focus on this ... this ...

Push it away, tear it back together, close the wound.

Let them watch. It wouldn't matter.

The green power pushed back, further and further, tearing the world and soon the people.

No. El _would_ fix the world.

The angel with the pale orange hair stood by, eyes wide in shock, or perhaps pleading. Other vaguer shapes gathered by, watching El's power from beyond the veil.

El would _fix_ the world.

The green ray approached, unraveling El's power at the seams. The watchers faded, the veil drifted away.

El would fix the whole world.

Dromos tore into the ship and fire burst into all directions, and El lost.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Air grew thin. Her breath rasped in short bursts, her thoughts became unsteady.

Had to get out. No transforming in tight spaces. She would die either way. Her hands were only barely claws, maybe she could dig, but if she let go the rocks might crush her. Maybe the knees she'd braced too would hold.

Nina shifted her legs and carefully drew back one hand, trying to keep the crushing weight on the others.

It was enough of a loss to matter.

A crack in her other arm sent her screaming. Her legs crushed to her body, rock dug into her back and stomach and head and the light broke out — she fell into the lifelessness between dragon and human where she had no body to inhabit — stayed longer than normal — remembered having been here so often only now — the dragon broke free. _And live_.

Her flesh pulverized against the nigh unmoving rock, her bones broke, her skull cracked. Reflexively she turned back to human form. A mere second left to her to brace her legs against the rock collapsing back.

The world froze again around her, herself suspended with feet against an opposite wall, just barely lying against a steep slope. The transformation had pushed enough rock aside to crack a narrow opening above her, leaving in fresh air.

For a moment she was nothing but grateful for the frozen state, even as her legs started to hurt again and her knees might break anew. The opening was too far above, but since she always reappeared as human where her dragon head had been, she was further up than before.

The downside was that down was many meters below, so now she had to support not just the crushing rocks, but her own weight from dropping down.

The waves of the river crashed nearby, there were far away screams and a poofing sound right below.

"I figured that was you, ruff!" came somewhere down there. "Stupid girl, shouldn't have gone back in."

"Coco?"

"Yours truly. I'll have you out soon!"

 **· · · · · · ·**

Adva collapsed against the broken pillar, not daring to look back. Both rock and water had rushed into the slums, far more than she could have hoped to stop. Whether Malphas had bothered to help she couldn't even tell. Her magic was voice based, better for wide range than dexterous use. She could halt waves and spin them elsewhere, but not really do much with it in the way she could with rain. This wasn't cleaning either, her hands were too small.

She stayed there, panting and a hand on her throat. On the opposite riverbank lay the broken ship of the gods. What remained of their armies was still airborne, now focused on the dimming monstrous hand. With all that demanding attention, she almost missed the white shape scurrying up her own riverbank, off to the left.

Mimi in her boney white monster form emerged from the water, a chain in her jaws that dragged on land a row of humans who clutched the chain. In the dark of the distant fire they were only shadows, save for the occasional green glint.

Adva landed before the dog. "What's going on?"

"Nina wouldn't let Cerberus try teleporting her away unless this lot was safe," Mimi snarled. "Honestly, if it wasn't important for the rebellion, we wouldn't bother. Look at this weak drag."

They _were_ a mess, but for reasons similar to demons. Ragged, starved, beaten.

A middle aged woman stomped up from the chain's end, setting down someone she'd pulled out the water. "Rebellion, you said?"

"Rachel, no," someone sputtered, only to be ignored.

She stopped before Adva, a head taller despite standing a little lower. "You the welcoming comittee?" she rasped, half coughed.

"Uh ... actually. Yes. I'm here, and you're welcome to hide in the slums."

"Don't," Mimi whined.

Don't do this, don't do that. It had taken mere weeks to learn after they'd been abducted. Adva took a deep breath and grew her wings as large as she could, just to give herself some semblance of authority.

"We are of the demons of the anti Charioce rebellion." Okay, could've sounded more impressive, but it wasn't a whisper. "We had a blow ourselves not too long ago and are low on numbers. Interested in joining?"

"Man, you're blunt. Can we first get a roof over our heads, whether or not we join?" Rachel said.

"Will a cave wall do? It's rather collapsed and flooded, but we're working on it. Any enemy of Charioce is welcome, willing to fight or not."

"Then I'm in. The cave, and the rebellion." The woman held out a hand. "Name's Rachel."

Careful, she shook the human's hand. "Adva."

"You doing anything rebellious tonight?"

"We most certainly are."

"Actually, I don't think—" Mimi started, only to be pushed aside by Adva's wing.

"We're in the middle of getting our two best fighters, Nina and Azazel. Speaking of that, Mimi, where _is_ Nina? And Cerberus?"

"Freeing more people, and you shouldn't be—"

"Of course I'm not organizing anything, just showing people the way around. We'll bring the most sick to the tunnels first. You can leave, I have it covered."

She gave the hell hound another wing shove and inwardly screamed at herself over what she was doing, but she did it anyway.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The city lay deserted enough that Belphegor could go by horse, something her still sore legs needed. She had to make detours not for enemies, but the strange damage the gods had left. Frozen patches, strange glows, fields of swords. She didn't trust any of it and went around.

The gates to the arena were intact and none of the explosive spells she knew would take on the walls. She had a new gas bomb ready, but that was it. It was up to whomever Cerberus could add. In habit of things going askew, Cerberus did not show up at the designated area. Walfrid, Trismegistus and Favaro did; all wearing Orleans knightly outfits and on horse. She hadn't recognize them until Trismegistus gave the signal and entered her alley.

"It's us." Trismegistus held up her hand. "Face skin, hair color changes, curtsy of my concoctions."

Belphegor gave an appreciative nod.

"Hey, don't think we've met," Favaro said, holding out a hand. "I'm Favaro, and you are?"

"Belphegor," she said, shaking his hand. "Are you here to help, and if so, what can you do?"

"I've got some smoke bombs, excellent markmanship and a radar much better than highly visible pomerians." He handed her a paper with a layout of the arena.

The place was mostly evacuated, remaining were a skeleton crew just enough to keep the prisoners in place should something go wrong. Favaro had marked, somehow, where exactly clusters of guards were within the arena.

"He won't tell us how he gets this stuff," Walfrid said. "But Cerberus says he's gonna help so that's what we're betting on."

"I was gonna have us enter the dramatic way, but we're getting extra help ... right about now," Favaro said.

There was the sound of galloping ... in another street. Favaro sighed. "One moment."

Favaro darted to the edge of the street, made an owl's call and waited.

Not long after, a familiar unicorn and rider raced into the alley, Kaisar raising his hand for some reason and — _by chaos what had he done_?

The unicorn stopped, but Kaisar sailed off the saddle pulled by the zombie hand. He collided into the wall behind the group with a half groan, half scream. Rocky pulled him to his feet and around.

That hand had been cute when it was her friendly assistant, now she saw it drag around a whole person it seemed less so. More worrying though was the green gem of Dromos. Black veins ran across Rocky and up Kaisar's arm.

"You just had to be dramatic again, didn't you?" Favaro said to Kaisar, which got him worked up at once.

"I was not being dramatic! Rocky's just very insistent on timing." He made a broad gesture with his own hand, while Rocky crossed fingers. That got his fingertips next to the glowing gem, and he twitched as if burned. Kaisar twitched too.

"Rocky, why did you agree to this?" Belphegor said, giving the hand a stern stare.

"Uh, are we missing something?" Trismegistus asked.

"Yeah, Kaisar's hand is an independent zombie," Favaro said. "Just roll with it."

"We thought it would be useful," Kaisar said.

"You have no idea how much," Favaro said. "Here's the story : in the aftermath you caught this rebel leader and you want to store her so you can return to your duties. Your new duties as an Onyx Knight, now we got this."

Belphegor preferred that much over going violent all the way. She pushed down her discomfort with being tied up by knights, thought of her gas bombs and their limited range inside, and of anything else.

Kaisar kept his distance, barely talked even when Favaro tried to joke around. He gave curt instructions on how everyone was to act, and how to postpone the inevitable fighting as long as possible. He asked that death would be avoided.

As all was set, Belphegor found a moment to tell him, "I'm glad you finally changed your mind, sir knight. Even if it took you long enough."

She'd at least expected a smile, or something else, but he just frowned and looked vaguely troubled.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The lock cracked and the door swung open. A silhouette against the torches tiptoed in, two corpses of guards lay in the hallway.

Oh, her. They were going through with it.

Nishaol lifted the rocks on which the circle was inscribed, breaking it that way rather than try magic. Next she unlocked the chains binding him to the ground using a set of stolen keys. Somehow the underlying spell had to be gone, because nothing actually by default.

He moved at once. Out the door, out the other doors, to the right where they kept the rest.

Nishaol was right behind him. "Don't go there, the back up is the other way!"

He kicked open the nearest rig. The place was darker, but the sound got all the guards running. His prime handler wouldn't be here to activate the collar if Nishaol took him out, which gave him plenty of time to slaughter these guards. He barely paid attention as he tore an arm loose and tossed the body aside, and another body, and more. Systematic, and on. Next were the locks of the cells. His arrival caused hollers and cries, and begging for him to hurry. He went as fast as he could tear the locks off. Large and small and injured poured out, away without sense of direction.

"Wait!" Azazel carried enough dominion yet for all the demons to freeze and look back, as far as they hadn't vanished yet.

"Don't go left," he said. "Gather at the concave place where the guards have their table, and fortify it. I will catch up.'

He had no business asking anyone to follow him, but he couldn't do this quick enough alone, nor keep them all alive if they weren't in the same place. "Nishaol, get the other keys and be useful!"

"We _need_ to leave," she said, almost desperate.

"We need to set them free. Are you going to be a problem, or not?"

By now, guards flooded in from the other end, including handlers already chanting the torture spell. None of them were his own, though. He flexed his claws and ran at them, slashed them apart, stole a blade along the way and made short work before any got in a sphere or full spell. It put him at the edge of focus; his body might endlessly regenerate but he couldn't see enough. When Nishaol materialized before him he almost struck her, but pulled back in time.

"For hell's sake, stop! Do you think I'm going through all this trouble to save you just for a noisy jailbreak? We have to do this as quietly as possible. We can't afford a huge—"

He shoved her away and continued down the hall, tearing off lock after lock and occasionally bracing against the wall. He didn't stop, didn't speak anymore.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel pulled El from the wreckage, glad to find nur alright. It appeared to be only exhaustion. In fact, it was nothing short of a miracle that no debris had hit anyone in the room; they really ought to have checked what other powers El had.

After lifting El in her arms, she looked back at Gabriel. Lacking her regal flair, Gabriel sat on her knees, hands on a screen of the battle before her. Even after the defeat the troops kept fighting.

"Why didn't they fall back?" Gabriel sputtered. "We'll be annihilated at this rate!"

Sofiel didn't dare answer that.

Badb Catha teleported onto the ship. "Lady Gabriel, can the cannons still fire?"

Gabriel whipped around. "No! We have to retreat. Do not get cocky just because your travelling range."

"I am not," she said lightly, though Sofiel sensed the underlying discontent with Gabriel. "Your orders?"

"Do not go near the Onyx Knights, but retrieve anyone you can find without doing so," Gabriel said. "Sofiel, prepare a gate to heaven."

Badb Catha bowed and teleported away, while Sofiel found a place to lay El down.

"Lady Gabriel, is there any chance I might go down to see whether I can find Jeanne d'Arc? I have found her once before just by following a dim sense, perhaps I can do it again."

"No. We're going back to heaven this instant."

"El will be very disappointed," she said.

"What did I just say about gods with range not being cocky?" Gabriel snapped.

"I will not go anywhere near—"

" _Now_!"

Sofiel was too taken aback by the outburst to answer right away. Gabriel caught herself and said in a calmer tone, "We do not even know whether she is alive."

"She is," Sofiel said. "I can tell."

Somehow that got her an skeptical squint. Gabriel turned back to the screen and left bitterness hanging in the air. "Prepare your gate."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne struggled onto the first shore she came across, only to find herself back on the island. The smoking remains of the damned machine lay dimming before her, its dreadful power going to sleep but not above, the gods desperately trying to reach a small point amid it. Between their target and them, countless Onyx Knights back in power, throwing shields and captive spheres at them.

Following the fall of a distantly familiar angel, one accompanied by two ravens, she could only watch her die. Two Onyx Knights were upon her at once.

"Don't ... "

 _Uriel, at her hands._

One drove the wristblade through her neck as the other held her down, sending a spray of already glowing blood across the earth. Limp she fell to the ground, and so did any other god that fell all around. Streams of blood turning to golden light never met the water's edge.

 _Raphael, at her hands._

Gods of all kinds, small and gigantic alike, went to their deaths. For seven years, this had been happening in heaven already. Every time he raided the sanctuaries ... this ... she should have killed when she had the chance. He who murdered gods and didn't even seek to suppress the worst of himself.

 _And her beloved Michael, at her hands._

"Don't kill them!" Her hands trembled for the weapon she had long lost and no longer trusted herself to wield.

Someone grabbed her by the arms and clamped a hand over her mouth. "Quit drawing attention."

The person dragged Jeanne behind an outcrop. The glimpse of a red boot with gold ornaments reminded her of Nina's ally, Cerberus. She was still here?

Ascertaining Jeanne didn't make further noise, Cerberus released her grip.

"You're having a phase," she said. "Bad memories taking over, right?"

Jeanne nodded numbly.

"We're here. You breathe for a bit, don't make more noise. We'll leave once Coco finds Nina."

Behind her, the slaughter continued. Her heart hammered in her chest, her blood pushed and begged her to save them or stop being here stop all this stop beg fate to _stop_.

She covered her ears, closed her eyes and thought of El — El who was alive, still somewhat safe in heaven, they must have gotten away — El had to be safe. Nina would have to arrive soon and they would have to get out of the city and _find El_. Hope was all she could do when she was no more knight.

Well ... a sneaky little thought emerged. The demonic promise of power to save her people from her king wasn't new; Martinet had so tempted her. This demon might be able to make pacts too, and had a stake in helping Nina somehow. She had believed to receive a demonic pact as usual, powers to use as she thought she would. Such arrogance, to overestimate her spiritual purity and think she would truly do it, truly save people. She had gone to kill the gods instead, her enemies now, her betrayers, or so it had felt. Right now she felt betrayed by her own king more than anything. Would a pact now drive her to attack the right people, or would she join the slaughter of gods again?

There was no telling whether a pact with this demon was even on the table, but the thought tickled at her. Nina had seemed to have no trouble doing good things despite her demonic heritage, and if there was even a glimmer of clarity on her words on Azazel's treatment of El, then perhaps ... maybe if she was stronger ... maybe demonic power wasn't _guaranteed_ to drag up the worst of herself.

"Can you ... I think I can ... "

"What?"

"Never mind."

For the umpteenth time, Jeanne asked herself what the world had come to, that he own people slaughtered gods and she was (once again) hiding with demons. Maybe she'd been fated for demons. After all, the true knight for the prophecy had not been herself, but a stray bounty hunter, son of a pirate.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel had at least five handlers who knew the spell to activate his collar. Two of them he'd caught before they could speak, using the chaos of the outbreak. The others were left somewhere, not found before he passed the room where he and Mugaro had once worked. The frantic rush driving him subsided, he had to enter, struck by the absurdity that this place he'd hated so much now was missed.

Mugaro's writing on the old book were still there. Nishaol had not changed much, though there was more blood and the hearth reeked of blood. She lacked Mugaro's telling power; now it seemed Charioce as right, he'd been a fool to never have realized. Only gods died into the embrace of light.

He leaned on the table, but refused to let himself collapse. Not now he was moving, however slim the chance was they'd really escape.

Someone burst into the room and he whirled around. An Orleans Knight. Within an instant he closed a claw around the man's throat, lacking any weapon to snatch and use. The only reason he didn't squeeze through was confusion at the strange putty that got on his skin.

"Dammit, stop!" the man choked in Favaro's voice.

Azazel let go the guy, who stumbled back against the wall and starting clawing at his face and hair. It revealed darker skin and bushier hair below that goo, which he flicked away. "Y'know, that alchemist lady's real good at what she does."

"What are you doing here?" Azazel asked wryly.

"Isn't that obvious?" Favaro said, gesturing exit way. "We're breaking you out, which would be much easier if you'd been closer to the entrance."

Mocking laughter escaped him. "You're insane."

Behind them, more people entered with strange faces and familiar voices.

"Nishaol, what went wrong?" Walfrid asked.

"He wanted a total prison break," Nishaol said.

"Well, if that's where we are, why not work with it?" Favaro said.

"They'll go after me first," Azazel said. "Priority class, I bet."

"Huh?" Favaro asked.

An undisguised face entered, Kaisar. "It's a system in case of outbreak. Gladiators are assigned a threat level to ensure the worst get apprehended first."

Right after him was Belphegor. She pushed past everyone and stood before him, looking entirely too worried. She lightly touched one of the snakes that had emerged from his arm. "Lord Azazel, what's ails?"

He didn't even know.

"The primary field is off," Kaisar said. "I got the code and deactivated it, you can remove the collar without the emergency protocol flicking on."

Trismegistus raised a finger and approaching, working her elemental magic on the collar's lock. With a crack and a rush, the metal turned to splinters.

Careful, Azazel probed his power — wings ready, serpents writhing. That he felt sick to the bone didn't matter. Had no business to matter. He still had something to do, however slim the chance. He didn't try the walls, knowing they'd be enforced like Onyx shielding. Those weren't emergency and couldn't be turned off just like that.

Nishaol led the way. Belphegor kept throwing worried looks at his arms, he ignored it.

The halls were still full of emerging demons, with Nishaol hopping all over the place to instruct where to go, and whom not to attack. Walfrid was in the middle of peeling off the remnants of his disguise, and Trismegistus paced ahead to deal with any enemy and their damn spells. Belphegor used up her last gas bomb to knock out a group who came from behind; still having to be careful of the all too human Favaro.

He followed, insisting to himself he was whole, but wasn't even surprised that when they reached the gates, those were locked and guarded by a whole mass of casters. Going out there would get everyone killed, he had no good shield. They retreated back into another underground tunnel, were followed, everything went wrong again, Azazel was expected nothing less.

It didn't matter much he didn't have a collar on. When they chanted the activation spell, the very walls burned with green power. The hall set ablaze and all demons were sent screaming to the ground.

Trismegistus planted her hands on the walls and set in motion her magic, forcing the rocks out. Matter not prepared for her required the hell pact, it shouldn't work, yet ... it did. Not as well as he knew her to work, but she got the rocks to shrivel and reform into a wall that threw the handlers back.

Favaro and Walfrid picked Belphegor and Nishaol up and ran out of range. Azazel tried to get up, but bled more readily than they did, so Kaisar slung Azazel's left arm over his shoulder and dragged him along.

"When I told you to start doing something, this wasn't what I meant," Azazel muttered.

"Really? It feels like I'm quite in line with what you asked me to do before. In fact, I'm taking it a step further. Unlike those ladies, you're important for the rebellion."

"Really," he scoffed. "I brought in Merlin. I messed up Nina."

"Yes, you mess up a lot, no doubt," Kaisar said. "But you're not gonna sort any of that out when dead. Come on now, work along. Trust me, you don't want Rocky dragging us."

Kaisar held out his once amputated stump. The hand Rita had reanimated her merged back on, now sporting a gem and pulsing black veins that flowed over into Kaisar's living flesh. Any desire to crack a joke about where Kaisar's mind had gone died when Rocky spasmed, twisted unnaturally and grabbed the wall, pulling Kaisar ahead. Azazel wasn't good at sensing energies, but sensed enough to know something was too alike what he'd noticed from Charioce before.

Heh, he hadn't even _tried_ to ruin Kaisar this time and it still happened. Typical.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina dug her fingers in the edge, but still needed Coco hauling her by the shirt to get out. There she fell to her side, panting, unable to move on her pained limbs right away. All she could do was breathe for a while.

Coco remained until she could try standing. Her arms hurt like hell and her skin had broken. Every movement hurt, she had to hold onto Coco's matted fur to fight off dizziness.

"Where's Jeanne?" she rasped.

"Cerberus found her, alive," he said.

Holding onto Coco, she staggered across a sharp slope. On the terrain below were the remaining prisoners fighting a weak battle against the Onyx Knights, only alive because the latter had had a siege behind them. Rachel and a few others made unstable expulsions of the green magic, but it only bought them some time.

Some of them were down and didn't move anymore.

Many of them were already dead deep below the ground or slung into the river, to be crushed or to drown.

The last remnants of golden light vanished into the sky, the dying gods no more.

The dragon within her might as well be dead too, irregardless of need.

And above her was a small platform between the steaming black matter.

"Coco, please go help the others."

"No can't do, Cerberus is only supposed to be getting you," Coco said.

What was the point of her, otherwise? Go back home, pretend like nothing had happened? As if. She had to do something, and Chris was right there. The fear holding her back struggled against the fear of losing her friends, or the fear of being put back underground, and lost.

"No," she said. "We need me to be a dragon now."

 **· · · · · · ·**


	13. Descent

**· · · · · · ·**

The only visible cost was one eye, it could have been worse. The pulsing veins from the bracelet had intensified but not spread to his hand yet, something easily hidden with sleeves. Charioce sat against the back of the platform, staring at the dark sky as the last of the gods were dealt with. Now detached from Dromos he had become small again, so small a sense of victory fell astray. The drumming inside his head merged with the cries of battle and death all around, enough for him to miss the approaching feet and hands climbing up.

Only when she hauled herself over the railing did he realize her presence. Against all odds Nina had survived, for as much as that could be called life. Bloodied, covered in dirt and bruised from the rocks, her skin clung to her bones. The only clean thing remaining about Nina was the shining green gem in the collar — ah, they'd gotten suspicious of her strength after all.

She didn't smile anymore and still he found her strangely appealing. Underneath the grime was that lively girl still, and seeing her turn to fire was almost welcome — she hadn't looked at him like this before. Even angrier than when he'd met her in prison, but the layer of betrayal still dominated.

Nina stood still the moment she was over the edge.

"So you escaped."

"That's all you'll say?" Her frown deepened, and he met it with a smile that got her burning. "What _is_ your deal? Dressing up as a commoner, dancing with me like it's nothing, only to throw me in here like it's nothing, and then grow this ... this goddamned thing on top of my head like it's nothing! Why bother taking me to dance in the first place?"

"Do you want to dance again?"

"Answer my question! Were you just bored, just entertaining yourself?"

"What did I do to imply you were only a diversion? It was you who wanted to come closer."

She didn't immediately reply, so he didn't make a move. Despite everything, despite all his resolve, he was more curious for what she would do than he ought to be.

 **· · · · · · ·**

She had to play this right. In some way he must like her, right? Enough that he hadn't attacked her yet. Perhaps she could draw that out long enough to fool her own heart or if not, take his sword and see how far she could drive it through her lungs.

As he stood up, she took a step closer but stayed at a distance. The moon and the stars and burning city reflected on his armor, some twisted fantasy compared him to a knight in shining armor, conflicting with the knowledge he had murdered countless people, and almost her. What she'd always thought as of serene, chiseled beauty now came across as cold; he smiled at her even as she stood in misery before him. How could he be like that?

"Please talk to me," she said, a tremor creeping into her voice. How she wanted to hold onto her anger, but it broke. "If it wasn't a farce, then why did you enslave me ... and leave me to die here?"

Now his smile faltered. "The sacrifice of personal existence is necessary to for the preservation of the human tribe. I cannot let you matter to me for one crack can lead to total collapse."

Oh. She _had_ mattered, but that was a hindrance.

"If I have to die here, can you do one last thing for me?"

"There is no need. Stand down and you will live."

"Like a slave stuffed below ground again? I might as well be dead. Let me have one thing, please."

"And what would that be?"

"One embrace."

And just like that, the smile was back — that he could summon it like that seemed such a mockery. Spirits, _why_?

He held out his hand and her heart sped up. Even as dread sunk in her stomach with every dying scream behind her, with every passing moment where he didn't say a word about her pain, she still desired him.

Well, it would make this easier in one way. As she laid her arms around his neck, he embraced her in turn.

In all his cruelty, physically he was gentle. That was all her dragon self would remember, unable to connect the pain to him because he hadn't been there in the flesh. Her heart beat, her blood rose steadier than once. It had stopped being rush weeks ago, and her mind remained a little longer even as the pink light converged within her heart.

She remembered when usually she forgot, but it wasn't the here and now that stuck. All the way back to the first time she had encountered a handsome man at home, as a little child yet.

 _On the boardwalk of her village, the young man stood talking to her father, and then he turned._

She turned into her other self, slower than before.

 _He'd been her first crush, and as so many of the emotions overwhelming her young mind, that had sent her transforming._

Chris pulled her a little closer and leaned his face closer to her head, so close, so much of what she wanted.

 _The place was too small._

The light broke out along with the sheer panic and devastation.

 _And she killed them._

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne sensed the surge just before the pink explosion waved through the cold air. Reflexively she stood up, ignoring Cerberus's protests. She had to see, because she recognized the power. After the light remained a dragon atop the dark machine, roaring against the night sky. Prisoners and knights alike froze at the sight.

The dragon looked straight down, rumbled as fumes rose from her jaws, then thundered off the black mass. The closer it became, the more certain Jeanne was; the scales, the pink mane, the very roll of the power belonged to Nina.

The prisoners still able to move scattered, but Jeanne scrambled over the rocks to get closer. The Onyx Knights threw their green spheres at Nina only for Nina to fire them apart. She went to work on them as if Dromos might as well be ordinary magic. They burned below the armors when she didn't throw them or snap their necks. With ruthless efficiency, Nina killed every enemy within her range, yet she was every so careful not to even step onto any of the prisoners.

Jeanne crossed the outcrop onto the even ground as soon as there was a clear path between her and Nina, and enough knights were gone.

Nina stopped shortly before her, making eye contact with large golden eyes.

"You know me, right?"

Nina tilted her heavy head and made an odd, small noise.

Further behind her, the Onyx Knights lined up with a chain of green spheres, channeling into something in the river. After a metallic, underwater creaking, a mecha rose slowly from the water, one laborious step at a time — this being a still river rather and deep enough to submerge the thing, the ground was so muddy it struggled to walk.

Nina took one look at it and huffed. With no ceremony, she curled her tail around a nearby boulder, swung it around and bowled the thing over. As it resubmerged with a rock half cracked into the helmet, Nina propelled herself off the shore. Waves crashed as under her weight the hollow thing imploded. Nina got off, only to sink into the riverbed herself.

Cerberus teleported onto Nina's back and said something, too far for Jeanne to hear. Nina plunged her head underwater. The remainder of the Onyx Knights tried to raise a shield around Nina, but Cerberus teleported behind them one by one and drove a blade through the eye holds of the helmets from behind.

After a lot of muddy wrenching, Nina raised one of anti gravity rocks that allowed the mecha to stay upright despite their weight. Holding it at an outcrop, Nina returned to the shore. There she forced it down before Cerberus, who held the entire thing in place with one hand. Nina herself ran on to deal with the remainder of the Onyx Knights.

Jeanne had the weakest people go onto the floating rock. That white demon dog vanished and reappeared with the other chain, which they tied around the rock for Nina to hold onto. The dragon being on their side was taken in stride, more or less.

Cerberus grinned as killed, up until one figured out to grab the air right before she appeared. He slammed her to the ground, ready to drive a blade through her skull, but she twisted herself just enough for it to graze her neck. Nina threw a fireball at them, sending the knight up in flames while Cerberus herself jumped out unburned. One blink later and she stood next to Jeanne.

"Little mishaps aside, this is so much easier than I remember," Cerberus said. "Your kid's quite something, saintly."

The last Onyx Knights either collapsed or retreated. Time to go. "I am no saint anymore."

"Doesn't smell like it," Cerberus said, which Jeanne ignored.

What she could not ignore was the collapsed vessel of the gods that lay half into the river, just barely visible around the corner. El ... had El gotten away? Oh Michael, please let him have gotten away.

"Everyone, get on!" Jeanne grabbed Nina's manes and climbed onto her neck.

Nina fell into the water so hard it was difficult to hold on, and only her head stayed above water. Jeanne gasped for as much air as she could. Nina expanded her small wings level with the surface, so those adrift caught on. The rock itself remained above water, half pushed, half pulled along by her.

The water didn't freeze, but it felt like to her starved frame soon enough. Jeanne forced her knuckles further into Nina's thick mane.

Nina was a fast swimmer, despite her size. She nudged the floating rock ashore before the cold of the water knocked Jeanne out.

The rock floated against the column of the high road, where Nina pulled it down so everyone could get off. Jeanne stayed put because of the sight of her once beloved city. The demonic fog wasn't even the problem : the city had been walled into a rich and poor district, and immediately beyond the road was a deep gap with a slum inside. Further into the city stood the arena she'd only heard rumors of. The fog trickled unpleasant, she rubbed her nose, but it didn't help.

Most other prisoners had gotten off Nina's back, and Nina let go the now useless floating rock. Before Jeanne had a chance to get off, Nina climbed up the high road and ran ... towards the castle of all places.

"No, go for the hills!" Was that even for the best? No telling, but the castle was the last place they had to be.

A poof of smoke and Nina's head appeared one of those tiny white dogs, leaning over her right eye. "Where are you going, silly? Azazel's in the arena!"

It pointed at the arena. Nina turned, stared and then ran on. Almost Jeanne thought she'd ignore it, but at the first high ground aside of the road, Nina climbed off and plowed through the streets instead, right at the arena. Jeanne just barely had enough mind to consider she had no idea what to expect from meeting her old enemy.

 **· · · · · · ·**

They got an entourage of demons, several of them carrying others along and covered with the blood of their murdered captors. Kaisar's best guess for the number of demon gladiators in the arena was close to a hundred. Setting them all loose on the vulnerable city didn't feel right, but he'd come this far and didn't have a way to reverse his choice. If it could be called that, what with Rocky having moved first.

Nishaol whispered directions, but Favaro sometimes ignored them and never faltered to take the right route somehow. The captain guy, Walfrid, at one point muttered about his weird clairvoyance, but chuckled it off. Favaro had to be hiding something, but there wasn't time to fret on that either. Some greater thing went on.

After a long enough stretch without the anti demon force being activated, Nishaol regained the ability to walk on her own. Kaisar suspected Belphegor might as well if she hadn't been dealing with the aftermath of her broken legs; Favaro just hauled her a little further with a joke on better to be a donkey than an ass.

Azazel staggered too much, less like he was in physical pain and more dizzy. There'd been some rumor of poisoning him to keep his power down, and something about his skin felt odd to Kaisar's — the gem through Rocky counteracted it.

When Favaro set Belphegor down at a corner, he turned to the group and said, "The good news, we got the walls open so we don't need to fight our way through the gates, which there's a trap. The bad news, the reason they're open draws the worst kind of attention. We gotta scram, there's wyverns all over the sky and I got no idea how long our allies keep them at bay."

Trismegistus snapped her fingers. "I'm literary sensing the matter around me and can't stretch it far enough to know that. What is your power?"

Favaro gave a grin and said, "It's having a very good friend."

As Favaro predicted, before they reached the gates was a spot where the walls had broken down. Not in a convenient way, something huge had collided with it so all the upper levels had come down, leaving a small hill to scale.

Nishaol climbed to the top, surveyed and gestured at them to go.

Crossing the rubble wasn't something Rocky could direct. Azazel got steadier though and they reached the top without mayor accidents, even as other demons scrambled their way past. Kaisar looked for a safe way down, only to find a very familiar face at the bottom.

The last person he expected to meet here : Jeanne d'Arc, albeit emaciated and in rags, and ignoring the demons around her.

Azazel froze when he saw her and muttered, "Jeanne d'Arc."

Standing still all of a sudden did not at all help Kaisar's attempts to balance on the unstable rocks. One slipped foot and they pummeled down the rubble, landing in a graceless heap before her feet.

"Well done," Azazel crumbled somewhere below him.

"Kaisar?" Jeanne asked.

"Saint Jeanne, how are you here?" he scrambled to sit up and take a knee. "My apologies for meeting you in such a foul circumstances. I am so glad to see you are alr-alive."

Azazel grew a wing and shoved Kaisar to the side, breaking his dignified stance. It occurred to Kaisar Jeanne might be rather confused at this situation; after all, last time they'd been before a hole in the walls, he was distracting Azazel so she could strike him down.

Jeanne eyes were on Azazel, and she said, "I am no more saint, Kaisar."

Ah, she thought she'd be in trouble if he was trouble. "I swear, he won't hurt you or any of our allies, he only kills ... uh ..."

Jeanne did in fact have a whole lot of dead demons on her caving stick, and while Azazel didn't go out of his way for it, he was willing to kill Orleans Knights. And Jeanne had been his downfall, the very first to knock him off his game.

Azazel had gotten to his feet now, giving Jeanne an unreadable look. Alright, great, no hostility. He actually called her by her name outright. Jeanne almost said something, but an explosion around the curve of the arena; Favaro was already there, watching.

A cacophony of monstrous roars echoed, then Favaro ran back.

Two dragons curled together in struggle crashed into the buildings just in line of sight; a smaller pink one against the taller, purple Lao.

Azazel tensed and his eyes widened. "Nina?"

Wings shooting out, he would taken off if not for Kaisar grabbing him by the arm. That he was so easy to hold back only proved the point he was about to make : "You're in no condition to fight!"

Azazel screamed and elbowed Kaisar in the face, but he wouldn't let go. They fell to the ground, green sparks flying between them. Wait, green light?

Kaisar had not even realized he'd grabbed Azazel through Rocky, all off that accursed power included. The blending had swiftly become natural to him.

Beyond Rocky was Azazel hanging half on the ground, fixing a hateful glare at him. He didn't try to move again.

The pink dragon pushed the purple one off and looked around, before running at a fight beyond Kaisar's line of sight. Lao rolled back on his feet and followed.

A few of the healthier gladiators joined the fight, taking aim at the knights. Kaisar had to quell his worries.

Favaro rejoined the group and pulled Azazel to his feet, careful to use only his tail. "Man, you're sick as hell — I'd bet they fed you that same stuff you fed Amira, right? Right. So you stick here, grow that carriage to normal."

"What carriage?"

On cue, Cerberus teleported into the middle of the group, holding the god's carriage ... shrunken for some reason. "Favaro Leone, I did my end of the deal, so bow before."

"Yeah yeah, can we do that after our lives aren't endangered?" He thumbed at the sky, where wyverns riders circled over Nina.

"Ugh, fine. I'll be right back."

Cerberus planted the tiny carriage on a boulder and vanished into thin air. Azazel flicked a fingers at it, with no response. "Why did this even happen?"

"We suspect the gods were taken away and left it as a sign," Belphegor said. "If you can grow it, we can send you and a few others out of the city.

"I am _not leaving,"_ Azazel snapped.

"Yes, you are!" Kaisar said. "If you hide the slums they'll raid again and this time it will be worse! We have protocols we haven't executed yet, you know that? At the peak is total annihilation and you being there is exactly what could trigger that. Do you even know how volatile the king is?"

"Understand? _I've lived it_! Every other demon here has lived it!"

"Exactly. And there are millions of cities that _don't_ have Charioce in immediate charge," Kaisar said, and Rocky raised up with the gem on display. "I can't stop you from taking up the vigilante mantle again, but I _can_ keep you from doing it _here_ while you are sick painting a target on yourself."

That didn't look like it stuck until Belphegor sided up and said, "Lord Azazel, for once I agree with Kaisar. You will be no help to use here and we do not plan to go to a fight again. All we need now is for calm to return and survive till more fortunate days. Go elsewhere, find a better way to rebel."

Azazel closed his eyes for a moment, then grabbed the carriage and sit it on even ground. He and Belphegor sat down on either side.

While they muttered on about magic, Kaisar turned to Jeanne, finding her eyes on the rock within his undead palm.

"Kaisar, I need to know where your loyalty lies."

Who was Jeanne to him, indeed? How would he sound swearing fealty to her in such a state? How much earlier would she have been freed if Charioce had been overthrown earlier? How to even begin explaining his alliance with Azazel? Or worse, his continued servitude to this king?

"A lot has changed, saint Jeanne. I have no clear answer."

"Much changed for me too," she said. "Short years ago, I would not have imagined myself an ally to demons, or doubting you because our knights tried to murder an innocent friend of mine. Kaisar, you must make up your mine."

Oh no. Of course cruel fate would have it that that girl would come across his captain and saint.

Jeanne continued relentlessly, "Always flee treason, serve your liege in valor and faith, those cannot coexist anymore with the rules that say to always protect the weak and defenseless, always fight for the welfare of all."

She gestured one hand at other starved humans in dirty prison cloth, her other hand at a group of demonic that were loading their injured onto a cart; Kaisar recognized a few of their faces. "I once dared hope you would find my child, whom I had to condemn to slavery so that Charioce wouldn't kill him."

"I have failed you, sai ... captain Jeanne," he said. "I cannot take those years back, but perhaps I can do as you have done : vow to do better in the future."

"Can you two quit the blabbering?" Azazel snapped. "I'm _trying_ to concentrate."

Most Azazel got on the magic front was a few more snakes emerging from his arms and digging back in. That actually got worse the longer he failed to get the carriage to grow.

Kaisar leaned closer and said, "Saint Jeanne, it would be best if you leave the city too. I must make a most peculiar request : might you perhaps be bothered to ensure Azazel _doesn't_ get himself killed?"

"I'll ... keep that in mind."

"Is she the reason you went out of your mind?" Azazel stood up and gave them both a look.

Favaro smirked. "No way, Kaisar's always extreme about what he sticks up for. So how's that carriage going?"

"Nowhere."

"Have you tried kicking it?" Favaro asked.

"Tch."

Them aside, it had gotten quiet on the terrain. Most gladiators had drooped off and the humans prisoners had gone along. Nishaol and Walfrid had vanished too, while Trismegistus stood at a distance just keeping an eye on Azazel.

Belphegor climbed onto a horse and looked at the faraway struggle. "We should send her from the city too, but she'll be too far if she passed out before she wins. _If_ she wins. I'll go offer back up."

"I'll come, she knows me," Jeanne said as she took Kaisar's unicorn. "Wait for us."

"I should come too," Kaisar said. "It is my duty to you."

Jeanne shook her head. "No, don't jeopardize yourself. You have our knights to lead still."

Belphegor gave him a nod, and galloped off with Jeanne.

Favaro clapped him on the shoulder. "So, update me on your future plans?"

"I will try to be a better knight, and ... " Kaisar looked around at the bodies. Most humans here had already been burned, and the guards of the arena had been killed by the gladiators. "Can you tell me whether anyone saw me aid the demons?"

"Uh, you gotta know my source isn't that accurate," he said. "Why do you need to know?"

"Rita's still in the castle," Kaisar said. "And so are my knights. Perhaps I should find a way to restore our true honor, so I need you to tell me whether I can return to my position safely."

 **· · · · · · ·**

"What happened here?" the demoness asked — at least, Jeanne was pretty sure she had to be a demon. She just appeared a woman from a foreign country; the same way Cerberus had started looking like a human once they entered the fog zone.

Throughout the city were corpses of wyverns, humans and patches of melting ice, holy magic not concealed. They were out far from the castle, she could only assume because the air force had scattered the angels. This is what the gods could do when they were low on power, and they hadn't even specifically targeted the lower ring of the city. In the dark and the fog she could not see anything of the castle, she imagined it would be worse. A treacherous thought crept into her mind, the gods had been so much stronger than her alone, surely then they could have lent more aid. She couldn't allow those thoughts, do away with them.

Within some of the buildings were holy swords embedded, a few pinning human enemies to the walls — and twice a civilians. It had to be an accident. Steering her unicorn closer, Jeanne pulled one out of a wall and weighed it in her hand. Though she had no holy magic to charge it with, it had some inherent power by its nature; a magical construct meant to pierce more than just matter. Jeanne knew enough of commanding sacred power for it to recognize a master in her, so she took it.

The demoness knew the way mostly, to Jeanne all the new streets were unfamiliar. The fight had left a trail of destruction near the arena, but a long stretch followed with minimal damage. Jeanne had seen similar during her war days : Nina was either being herded somewhere, or lured away. The trail roughly went towards the hillside of the city, with a few confusing mishaps in road only corrected by following new sounds.

"They might have set a trap for Nina," Jeanne said. "This isn't an ongoing struggle."

"No trap, there's another dragon in the sky," the demoness said. "It's too large for these streets, I will bet they're trying to get her somewhere it can interfere without property damage."

Jeanne looked up, but to her eyes there was only a barest hint of a bird flock against the night sky. She wouldn't even have noticed that if not expecting something large.

The fight became noisy enough that they didn't need to guess much longer where to go.

The demoness jumped onto a building, holding onto a windowsil. "I will be no good on a ground fight with my legs and new injuries, I will go through the buildings."

Jeanne nodded, imagining she could either break the walls or planned to bail somehow. Either way she would not argue.

When she heard hooves she left the unicorn, so she could move quietly.

Nina was on the steep hillside fighting something that only looked like a human to her, forsaking her fire and direct charges. Despite the fog's curse, Jeanne was able to see Nina as an actual dragon. No time to wonder about that, because Nina was much slower than before. Why? Exhaustion? Something the enemy did that Jeanne could not see?

Or perhaps it was because tried to shield a group of (presumed) demons, who held their own in the fight. Some looked like human warriors to her, others like ordinary civilians — gladiators and slaves alike then. They were herded as much as Nina. The knights clustered around the demons, driving them back against the earth wall. A few of her fellow human prisoners were among them too, having dropped off Nina later.

Jeanne looked for an opening, anything where she might be of use, but found none. Could Nina even be persuaded to leave them?

The flock of birds descended onto the hill. Jeanne tried but could not see, or even sense anything clear with so much demons around.

Between the hillside and her was a long lane full of felled knights, bleeding or dead. Some stood by, not doing anything but talk to each other in murmurs. Further down the street, a stout yet pale farmer knelt at a fallen knight's side, but looked up when she tried to pass in the dark fog. The knight stood up on shaky legs, beheld her and said, "Saint Jeanne."

She froze in place, but the knight only beamed at her with undeterred adoration.

"You're Jeanne d'Arc?" the stout man asked. Jeanne sensed a low but intense dark magic flowing around him; he had to be a demon below the illusion.

"I am," she said. No use denying it.

"You must be ... can you lead them?"

"I don't know. Who would I be leading?"

"The Orleans Knights, of course!" another knight chimed in.

"We would be honored to follow your lead, saint Jeanne!" the first knight said, clenched fist to chest in the traditional salute. The others followed suit.

"Then follow me," she said, trying to shake the sense of unease that lay over the site. "Do not harm anyone who looks like a civilian. And the demons and the magenta dragon are not our enemies. Understood?"

"As you command, saint Jeanne!" they chimed in perfect unison.

 **· · · · · · ·**

This was family, so why? He wasn't supposed to fight here, let alone be fighting again her — he didn't hurt her much, but it did hurt and he was attacking the people she had to protect ... He was bigger and sleeker, but he hadn't spent all her time as a dragon — she was older in this form. Smarter, had fought the giant armors and other dragons to live. And he was stupid to think he could win when he was already injured from a prior fight. She bit at his second knee, another weakness while she had none yet. Once she her claws around his neck she squeezed, expecting him to roll over and so he did, exposing the belly plates. She wrapped her sharp beak around the tought side of the places and jerked, causing a deep cry of pain. She let go, flipped back and swiped at a group of tin humans trying to get to close to her flock.

Her dragon opponent was back on his feet, but not for long. One of her tiny allies got a spear from somewhere and threw it with supernatural strength, right at the time she herself charged — a distraction enough that her opponent braced against her and missed the projectile.

It hit right as she rammed him back into a building. Blinded by the falling rubble, she set all her weight on the stomach wound, causing another roar of pain. It wouldn't kill him, he just had to get the message.

He kicked her in the stomach, making her roll away, only to fall through his legs. He turned back to human form. No more threat, she took a step back, watching him scamper back. He shouldn't have been spent yet and he hadn't made the gesture of submission.

Why?

The dragon reeking of death stood above the earth wall ready to strike, and that strange woman on the edge before it, but they didn't move yet.

Oh, because of _him_.

She knew _him_ so well, there was no mistake even now he wore a helmet. The scent, even the way of walking and the golden eyes that stood out sharp to her vision.

He raised a hand, and what remained of the smaller enemies backed away — safe now.

Yet as she stepped closer that horrible green power built around him. She stopped, confused. Why would he be near ... he would, she recalled something on his hand, but ...

He stopped too. Ever so slightly the power lowered, the sense of safety returned. She approached again. The closer she got the more it ebbed away, and he walked towards her. She just wanted the warmth back and leave all those hazy sensations behind ...

 **· · · · · · ·**

At the end of the lane stood a group of soldiers blocking the lane, but not against outsiders. They were meant to kill anyone near Nina who tried to get away. Jeanne's own followers plowed through those still loyal to Charioce, ignoring wounds and cheering her name — the surrealism wasn't worth considering, she had to get to Nina.

The sound of struggle had stopped, though she still saw the pink mane beyond a broken house. No movement ... was she dead?

Jeanne went ahead through a break her followers provided and came before a bizarre scene : Nina mere meters from Charioce, not doing anything.

Charioce reached for Nina, who did nothing. He hesitated, then took off his glove and laid his palm on her snout. At once light engulfed Nina. Withering out like a candle in the wind, the young woman floated where the dragon's head had been.

She dropped as the light faded and Charioce sprang to her side, catching her before she hit the ground.

The scene stilled. Charioce just sat there with Nina draped over a bent leg, one arm below her stomach and the other hand cupping her breast. Seconds ticked by as he stared down at her face, frozen in cold fascination.

Jeanne understood two things: one, there really wassomething going on between them. Two, he had no business touching her like that.

She picked up a fallen spear, leveled it in her hand and threw.

He noticed, tossed Nina down and backed away. The spear pierced the ground inches beyond Nina, and Jeanne caught herself on a stupid impulse — she could have hit Nina, she could have ...

Charioce stood straight, locking eyes with Jeanne. At his raised hand, wyvern riders descended from the sky.

"Take that one to the palace," he said, pointing at Nina.

The nearest wyvern rider picking up Nina and slung her across the saddle. Within a breath they were gone.

She'd come for nothing.

Knights, soldiers and guards clustered down the lanes and streets now, and started to slaughter the small group Nina had been protecting. Again Jeanne could only watch, knowing that below the illusion were demons did little to abate it. She was helpless. As usual.

"Isn't that Jeanne d'Arc?" a young man next to Dias asked. "Really?"

These knights responded so differently. None stepped ahead to follow her, they remained at the king's side. As the rush wore of, it started to click something wasn't right at all.

Dias asked, "Why is lady Jeanne in rags?"

She stepped away from the corner, so all might see her. "I refused to betray the gods and let Charioce kill my child. He sentenced me to slavery for that."

A shocked murmur went through the crowd.

"Heed her not," Charioce said. "My father was right, after all. She was only a witch set out to deceive the gods from noticing the true chosen one. I had mercy where he did not, perhaps I should not have had any. Merlin, handle this."

From the cliff jumped a woman in black dress, stark green hair pulled back in a loose bun and the scorch of holy attacks littering her skin. Still, she raised a wizard's staff, but Jeanne held up her hand in a pacifying gesture. "Wait!"

To her surprise, the woman did so.

"Are you truly Merlin?" Jeanne asked her. "Child of a demon who accursed a virgin with you to deliver an anti-god, only to create a champion for humankind. They say you see past and future. What is this king worth for the world that you fight to keep him on the throne?"

"I only sense, but he is worth it for what he will bring. I am never wrong," Merlin said.

"Never?" Jeanne looked around at the Orleans Knights around Charioce. "And yet all these men break the code you helped raise. Answer me, all of you, what do you follow still? To never do outrage nor murder : yet your new king does so with wanton joy. To by no means be cruel but to give mercy unto him who asks for mercy : your new king spites mercy. Protect the weak and defenseless : your king has today killed many who had no ill will to him. To give succor to widows and orphans : he has made many, and today my child would have been an orphan too had demons not freed me."

"Hear her standing with those below the demon who broke me. Codes only have values when applied right, and I am no mortal knight any more than my new king seeks his own gain," Merlin said. "You became a witch because you chose to pact with demons, unlike my birth, and so you slaughtered gods. What would you know of need?"

All along, Charioce stood there with a dim smile. As Merlin fell silent, he raised his hand. A purple glow behind him dimly flickered and there stood a man ... no, a winged bird? It was hard to discern somehow, but it caused a massive, magically charged wind.

Those standing with Charioce were taken aback, and mutter of treachery rose.

Jeanne looked aside. The knight to her left wasn't a living man anymore, but a bloodstained armor around a graying corpse with glowing white eyes, veins and rot shooting through the sallow skin. To her other side, whom had appeared a tall man was instead a demon with a slave collar, forced into an ill fit Orleans armor. Those living knights now looked up her with the disgust she had fled from so often. What pride she had left could not bear them to see her sin and yet here she stood with the forces of darkness again.

So be it then, because there was no light to choose.

"Everyone with me who is still alive, _flee_ ," Jeanne said. "Everyone else, close ranks to cover their retreat."

The zombies obeyed as if she were still a captain, she couldn't even begin to figure out what went down here.

"Truly embracing your fate, I see." Charioce raised his arm and gathered up a small green sphere to hurl at her. Jeanne pushed as much of her own power into the blade and cleaved it apart. It was merely a show of power, she didn't expect to win this.

The undead knights were a considerable force, acting the way as living ones without the hindrance of pain, but they had no sorcerer. Merlin had to be on her brink, yet she planted her staff in the ground, forcing earth's power through it in a tremor. The zombies closest started shaking and clattering their jaws before falling over. While powered still, all they could do was twitch on the ground. The effect spread slowly though, and those further down the lane still ran and protected.

Jeanne did not attempt to flee; she had everyone's attention, so let the demons get away — that she'd think such a thing! It hardly seemed strange anymore when Charioce stood before her, smiling still.

His sword glowed green and with one swing, vaporized hers into a rain of light. Two knights grabbed her, forcing her arms behind her back to bring her to her knees.

Her imminent death was accepted, she'd known the risk, she could die like this if not for seeing that none of her knights here stood for what was right. All of them under the code, many of them faces she'd known. If neither gods nor demons could overthrow Charioce, it had to be humans, and yet, only Kaisar had moved.

"You ran out of use the moment you refused to call your son down," her former king said as he raised his sword. "If only you'd left, I wouldn't need to make an example of you."

She refused him a final word, prepared only to not scream when his blade struck ...

And then he just dropped over. A tiny dart stuck from his throat on the blind side of his face.

The entire scene took a few seconds to process that before someone shouted, "Check the buildings!"

The strict order broke as people wondered what to do now. Those close to her disagreed on whether the king wanted Jeanne dead now, or wanted to do it personally. People further away scattered into the empty buildings, and others went to the hills to drive off some spectators. Jeanne herself considered making a run for it, but was too weak after all that had gone down, even if she got loose that might just incite them to kill her.

Merlin knelt at Charioce and pulled the dart out, frowning at it. When someone asked whether it was magic, she shook her head. Around the pin prick wound, dark veins started pulsing. That accursed power flowed through him, patching him together even as it warped him ... the flow of the stones in the Onyx Knights all bent towards him too.

Through it she just barely sensed the rush of dark power. The knights holding her yelped and crumbled to the ground into bloody heaps, while something wrapped around Jeanne's waist. She was pulled off the ground too fast for her to follow. Somewhere up or down or anywhere Merlin shouted, green power flew, black feathers fell.

The blur ended, the world stilled. She found herself back on a couch in a colorful room that brimmed with holy magic. Dizziness lingered and she had to steady herself before she could look around.

Opposite of her was another couch, and to its right the door out of which Azazel leaned.

"Are we followed?" she muttered, but he didn't hear her over the wind.

He shut the door, leaning against it as he said, "Where did Nina go?"

"Charioce had her brought away."

Azazel growled and kicked the nearest couch hard enough to dent the wood.

"Are we being followed?" Jeanne asked again.

"Yes, but they won't catch up to a hippogryph," he said without looking at her.

She was safe. Nina still wasn't. "Azazel, listen ..."

He turned to her, but the world also turned on its head. As the rush for survival wore off she was left with the cold, starvation, dehydration and exhaustion catching up, dragging her into unconsciousness.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus lay on a roof, waiting for her puppies to return with reports, and Favaro Leone if possible.

There wasn't any orange hair to see yet, just the glitter of the damp webs in the dim morning sun. On every single house in the lower distract. None of the civilians flooding back into the city noticed them, curtsy of said fog. Likewise for the knights, soldiers and city guards, none had any of the antidote cloth before their noses. A few of them complained, but were under the impression it was only their own batch that had vanished or burned up and surely others _were_ protected. Fools.

Other than her early interference against the firestarters, Olivia had kept out of the war and apparently spent her entire time making Arachne web all over the place; some kind of magic to speed it up had to be involved. Cerberus had confronted Olivia only to be brushed off.

Mimi returned first; Favaro was with Kaisar in the upper district. Walfrid was there too and they'd caught onto a member of the Red Troupe. Well, that might be useful, so she wasn't going to chase him down now.

Coco returned later with more bothersome news : conflict in the slums. There wasn't likely going to be a massive raid; Azazel had made very sure everyone saw him in the carriage getting out of the city. Honestly, the flair for drama hadn't gone away.

Well, she might go check out the drama at the tunnels just to get it over with before Olivia did whatever she planned.

At the tunnels was a most peculiar stand off : slum inhabitants, common demon slaves, gladiator demons, and the humans from the island. The latter had green shards encrusted on their arms and wielded half assed variants of the destructive power spheres. Add a side serving of zombie knights and defected members of the Orleans demon division, and voila, nobody knew what side to be on. Belphegor stood dead center to it, trying to be a good two shoes and mediate down the hostility. She wasn't very good at it.

Belphegor spotted Cerberus and yelled, "You, get the hell over here and confirm these humans are Charioce's enemies!"

With an exaggerated sigh, Cerberus poofed into the middle of the crowd. "What she said. That lot was slaves on the island, they hate Charioce, yadda yadda yadda. Divesepid, why are there zombies here?"

"I made them last night, it felt handy. I set them them into passive acting mode, you're not gonna believe whom they latched onto."

"Jeanne d'Arc? Met her last night," Cerberus said. "Anyway, get them cleaned up, they smell and attract attention. The humans won't stand for us using their corpses for anything."

A somewhat familiar human woman shoved past Belphegor. "Hey, wait. We want to join you."

"What?" eloquently said as she recalled the name.

"Your rebellion, of course."

"No, no, _I'm_ not running a rebellion. I'm just trying to help my team survive. Besides, you're humans." Not that Cerberus had any qualms about using humans to settle, but only in covert ways. Nils was useful as figurehead for her operation, and she might've shoved Jeanne their way if Azazel hadn't taken her. But she wasn't gonna do it herself.

Favaro chose that exact time to come around the corner and waved. At Rachel. "You've got _the_ Favaro Leone right over there. He says he works for you."

"He's just here for ugh, anyway, I'm a demon, ancient enemy of humans, sometimes I make exceptions for a pact."

Rachel shrugged. "We were busted out of that jail by a demonic dragon and we saw you help her there. We don't care for your species. We want Charioce and his entire damn regime _to go down_."

Favaro tapped Cerberus on the shoulder. "Yeah, so I got done escorting your team to your home and the fiery murder lass settled there because she likes the decorations. She was about to murder this guy here and... hey, you, get over here!"

Nils stumbled around the corner, bags in both hands and shaking like a reed. Dietlinde was after him with more bags and more anger.

He had no such orders, she hadn't even seen him since last night. He was playing at something.

Rachel folded her arms. "You _could've_ just said you're out of a base. We're not gonna judge you for that."

"I am _not_ running a rebellion!" Cerberus snapped. "Who even told you that?"

Rachel pointed at Adva, who shrunk behind Belphegor.

Cerberus would have made a point, a very sharp one, of people misrepresenting her, if not for the remendous bellow that shook the sky right then. Like took a horn from hell and pitched it off key.

Below the drone lay a whispers that permeated every ear, every breath of air, "The lady Olivia calls for all demons to unite under her banner, to make haste for her new order and your very own freedom."

Cerberus teleported onto a tower and found it almost cost no extra energy. The whispers were weaker here, so clearly magic kept them low to the ground, but Cerberus was magic too and still heard them.

A forcefield rose around the entire lower district, shimmering black before fading into invisibility. A group of wyvern scouts collided with it like birds on glass. Those still within the barriers were felled by something pulling them to the ground.

Far above, a mere speck against the blue sky, hovered Olivia. A ring of fire expanded around her and when she spoke it echoed all across the city.

"King of humans, hear me," she called. "We took your healers, we took your workers and any other scrap you might have used to build your empire without the demons. Move against us and I will burn them all down, no loss to us but the scenery. See how you explain that to your kingdom who believes you protect them so well."

A long, thick thread of Arachna's making fell down on the other side of the barrier. With a snap of her fingers, it set alight on both ends. It took only seconds for the entire thing to incinerate and set ablaze the houses it had touched. At the next bellow of the horn, the fog trembled and thinned; humans might just be able to see the very burnable webs across the houses here.

In the streets below, freed demons hollered and cheered in a shrill chorus to the horn, but the scent of fear wasn't just from the humans. Olivia was either a great fool about to invite a massive raid, or about to establish her order right below Charioce's nose in a power move to rival Belzebuth.

Cerberus, Mimi and Coco teleported home, suspecting to find little miss troublemaker there. She was right.

"That went well," Olivia said when she teleport in herself. "Would you not agree?"

"If you mean provoking the king? Yes, wonderful!" Cerberus snapped. "You are begging for annihilation! The king's already getting aid from other provinces and you just painted a big target on yourself at the worst time in the worst place!"

"Oh, I could be a greater problem for the king yet, but it is better for my goals to wait a little while. I have as good as already told you why, so pry that fuss out of your little mind, sit back and enjoy the show," Olivia said. "There are 270301 humans in the lower district. We have a long way to go before running out of hostages, food and playthings."

"Did you ever even think about what kind of a problems you're making for us if this fails?"

"Yes, and I did not care," she said. "I _am_ a fallen angel, after all. What, should that not be well to hear for you? I will be worthier than the scapegoat to the name of hell."

"You will be nothing if you die."

Olivia glared right back. "Dog, be good now. Such insults are out of bounds."

Cerberus flattened her ears, all too aware of the threat in those words, and that fact that she had just sent the best warrior roughly on her side _out of the city_.

Arachna had holed up in a corner, Mimi went up to her. "Come on, let's go join the others."

Arachna took one long step out of the corner, only to shrink back as Olivia moved, accompanied by a waft of fear.

Well, well. Looked like Olivia played a different style of management.

"Arachna, I really don't want you in my home now you don't need to be here. Scram," Cerberus said, just as a test.

Arachna scittered ahead about three steps when Olivia snapped her fingers. Arachna fell back in place, turning her eyes down.

"Oh, so that's how you work." Cerberus spun around, kicked the attic door opened and hollered, "Girls, scatter!"

"What are you doing?" Olivia asked.

"I am _not_ picking a fight, that is what I am doing." She grabbed her favorite wind chime and the dog bed as well. "And just as usual, I am _not_ staying in line of the fire, and my girls don't need to either. Wouldn't want you to find a use for them as well."

"Your reputation is frighteningly accurate," Olivia said. "Run with your tail behind your legs then, dog."

Cerberus pressed her lips together. She just had to give her just a bland nickname, heh?

Delphyne slithered half up the stairs, a questioning look on her face. Cerberus ordered her to gather the other core workers, pack and meet her at the slum elevator. The others were to move to into other establishments. She herself went to fetch a few hidden stacks of cash and spell material.

She met them on the second floor passage. Her core group consisted of Delphyne, Syncarpia, Terásanui, Al Miraj and Borashne, all chosen for their prowess in case they had to make a stand — initially the idea had been a stand long enough for Cerberus to get away in case she got caught in an anti teleportation field. Now they were something of a pack. Not officially, really. Only inso far that she bothered to keep them around. Wanted to. That might be a problem.

"What do you think, girls? Where are we going to live?"

"Consider," Al Miraj said. "Olivia is making demands where you gave us a choice. We'll follow you, but only if you don't bow to her. Just as you have not truly bowed to humans. Can you join her without giving something up?"

Well, that'd cost her her pride, and Olivia had already taken over her home uninvited and she was profoundly annoying so that'd take Cerberus's peace of mind too. "No," she grumbled. "Let me think about how to do this."

"Just so you know, we're packing to move out," Syncarpia said from the emptying clutter of her room.

"Still thinking."

Most of her girls would be alright in a court of Olivia's kind. Syncarpia had once been a queen now reduced to slavery. Terásanui had also led a rich life. They knew what they missed. Delphyne and Borashne had been a loner and a merchant respectively, while Al Miraj was a fallen god and had all the dramatic backstory that came with that.

Siding with Olivia might be easier. Belphegor was a bleeding heart already dropping goo all over the place, but Malphas and Divesepid might swing if that was convenient. Cerberus didn't have a clear idea on just how powerful the gladiators were, but if they'd survived they'd have been either very strong, or not that close to Cocytus. Loyalty issues to consider, might not have inherent need to follow fallen angels. Hmm.

She wished she'd waited with getting rid of Azazel, because now it didn't look anymore like that would return stability.

"You know what? I'm still not running a rebellion, but I sure as hell am running a home. If Olivia thinks she can take over my lair and just drag me into open rebellion and dump all this shit on my head, and then expect me to bow before her, she's wrong. She will know how wrong she is."

She took them to the slums, passing many quiet streets. The houses were now full of humans again; evacuees who they'd returned to safety only to be hostages. In a few streets fights went on as demonic slaves broke out, but not much. Olivia wasn't going around breaking shackles. The quiet would change once enough without collars banded together.

At the tunnel entrance in the slums, the crowd persist, thicker and more chatty now. Belphegor had a centerpoint still, but Malphas, some gladiator guy that seemed to stick with Nishaol, and Divesepid also were vocal points.

"No, I will not stand for anyone being enslaved," Belphegor snapped at some demon Cerberus didn't recognize. "Rachel, listen, in hell we have a caste system, lords may not touch those under the reign of others. I once was a prince of hell, this may yet mean something. Work for me and my name will carry weight for your protection."

"Lady Belphegor's a good employer," Durahanem added. "Though we can't exactly pay under these circumstances ..."

"Once I get my plants going, there will be enough food though," Kolraun said. "If I can have extra hands that will help."

"We didn't get paid before either, getting enough food is an upgrade," Rachel said.

Malphas sighed and raised a hand. "Past princess here too, used to be right hand to Satan. We're reconstructing the place and I heard practed humans are good against the green shit, so I'm willing to work with people if they work with me. Anyone who doesn't wanna science or fight can go under me."

That kicked in a tangent on whether humans infected with Dromos could actually pact, which didn't interest Cerberus. She took a deep breath and howled loud enough to fill the slums — her own call for dominion. Demons were well trained to oblige when the echo came, and everyone stilled around her.

"Malphas, go fix these homes before nightfall. Syncarpia, you go map the tunnels and blast a few things to clear them, Malphas can join you later for better planning. Kolraun, get a farm going. Adva, Tipa, you work that weird magic water stuff to clear the water. Divesepid, go reanimate every corpse you can find, demons included. Nishaol, Durahanem, you're going to train these humans and see what these gladiators can do. We need a defense force. Borashne, take the cash, map out how our internal economy is gonna change. Belphegor, get more of those poison darts going and find some pacts to make."

Belphegor beamed, and Cerberus already regretted taking a stand. Now she was on her good side.

"You heard the marquis," Belphegor said, clapping her hands. "Let's go."

Having people more or less do as told was actually rather satisfying, now she got exactly that. Hmm, what next?

Favaro put a hand around her shoulders and leaned. "So, I think I owe you a pact?"

"Yes, and after that you're going to to tell me exactly what you've been up to."

 **· · · · · · ·**

 _Dear fate. Dear, beloved fate. If I hadn't destroyed hell I'd find a way to incarnate you and send you there._

On top of the world now knowing of his war with the gods, he had lost Jeanne _and_ Azazel from his grip. He should have killed them when he had the chance. He didn't even have a good reason to keep the latter alive; Kaisar would do to get Rita's compliance.

Those thoughts remained in the back of his head as he went about his duties, muled over until he found the crack in his reasoning. All along, he kept his posture right and regal.

His blood had turned black and though it meant his broken bones mended much faster, it would erode him in the long run. A minor setback. Willing it to obey and repair, he walked through the castle as Francesco gave him a mumbled report of the damage.

Much of the castle had been burned down. Though it had a overall defense circle powered by Dromos, it was usually shut down because of the experiments on demons needing their magic to be active. The smaller circles were limited to the dungeon, and the larger had to draw upon the off shore factory anyway. He briefly considered activating the circle below the castle now, but it would drain his already damaged workers and require new locations for the existing experiments.

Somehow, someone had killed all the magical quartermasters. Reports talked about a tiny teleporting angel in an impractically fancy brown dress going around, catching them at inconvenient times. At least one control bracelet had been stolen too; he'd have to figure out whether the gods had any of their human followers active during the siege. This entity was gone now, but did warrant a later activation of the circle.

Repairs could be left to the courtmasters. A more immediate concern was the restoration of his troops and the the funds he'd need soon. The obvious solution was to take apart the collapsed divine ship — there was no more point in hiding his attacks on heaven so he would appropriate the technology. One of his allies had a skilled mecha craftsman, he'd see whether he could be trusted to construct something new of this.

He was just going through the outer corridors when a sleep deprived Merlin passed him, surrounded by fayfolk to heal her injuries. She gave him a curt nod, and did not fear him. It was only respect.

Merlin's loyalties did not outright appear shaking, but they might be in a roundabout way if the Orleans Knights got any weird ideas the purity of their chivalry after last night's scene. Merlin might be a liability, with the callous way she spoke of the code. He really should have killed Jeanne right away. Maybe Azazel was too broken to try rebelling again, but Jeanne wasn't, and he'd gone out of his way to get her out. This spelled trouble, and he couldn't predict the shape of it. Rebelling knights on top of that would not help.

He stopped and called her back. "Why did you not interfere when the red dragon fought Lao?"

"Not only is my mount too large for those streets, it might have provoked her to use the fire she withheld from her tribesman. Would you want your city to go up in flames?"

He could rebuild, but then his advisers would go on about the money again. All things together, he did need the damn money.

"Now, your majesty, get that zombie master of yours to figure out how to patch up decapitated undead. Azazel tore its eyes out and it does need them," she said curtly. "I will employ the living dragon in the meantime."

"Lao has not yet recovered from his injuries well enough. Attempt to use a wyvern if you must fly or find some other beast."

"That might solved more easily. The dragon you _captured_ is nimbler, it might serve me as an undead mount," she said. "That way the bigger dragon could go full out with into battle outside the city."

There it was, a good reason to kill Nina directly. Let's write an ode of exhaustion to fate while at it.

Or maybe _this_ was the test, rather than sparing her.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne woke up to a colorful ceiling she'd never seen before. Or rather, she had, but her mind still struggled to pull together through a pounding headache and stiff limbs. The carriage ... she sat up only to have the colors spin around her. A divine carriage, the bounty hunter gods ... why had it been small?

When her eyes resettled, she looked over the room. She was on one of two couches on the long end. Everything was bright colors : green cushion, patterned walls and ceilings and intricate tapestry. The scent of liquor pervaded almost as much as the aura of the demon on the third couch where it originated; empty bottles surrounded him.

Azazel glanced at her before returning to his current bottle.

Reality settled in. She was room mates with the demon who had once invaded her city, while escaping the city together. That was more than she could handle right now, so she ignored it.

Jeanne swung her legs off the couch. Every muscle screamed at movement, but things had to be done, starting with the thirst and hunger.

On either side of Azazel's couch were closets, but they only contained wine. She couldn't bear the thought of alcohol on her empty stomach, but she had to quench the thirst somehow. Two sips that dizzied her, then it was time to focus.

Nina was captured but not killed. Whatever unsavory thing went on between her and Charioce was, he didn't seem inclined to kill her outright. She would have to find out, and it happened to be so Azazel could summon; Kaisar and Favaro had told her about his behavior during the invasion and why he'd been distracted. He had sent summoned skeletal warriors after Amira.

How was she to approach this, though? As steady as Michael had been her guidance, she had to admit it was guidance through combat more than anything. There had been only enemies to face and glory to forego. Striking up a conversation with a fallen angel to ask a favor was simply not something one covered during meditation.

Now, Azazel wasn't hostile to her and had shown concern for Nina. Favaro didn't worry about him, Kaisar seemed concerned for him, and he'd just picked her out of 's claim he'd taken good care of her child might actually hold some ground, rather than be her forced optimism.

Azazel grabbed for another bottle, finding one yet untouched with some effort.

Maybe a more immediate concern was something else, and it might just be the dizziness that let Jeanne blurt out, "Are you sober?"

"Despite my best efforts, yes." He threw his bottle against the wall.

Jeanne took a deep breath and said, "There is a lot we must discuss, but before that, will you help me with something?"

His eyes flicked at her. "Don't make plans that rely on me."

"It's not a plan so much as a single spell," she said. "We can agree we have a common enemy, right? And for what it's worth, we might have a common friend. I know Nina's true name, but I cannot summon. I've been told you can."

Without so much as a hand movement, a purple circle appeared on the floor of the cabin. "Can you sense what it asks?"

Cold wall aside, summoning was an extension of channeling. Both first struck a bridge employing the energy of a realm to link to a creature of its domain. She could sense it ... but no questions. She had always just received, not controlled it.

"No, not what it wants," she said.

Rather than ask Nina's true name so he could do it, he sat up and said, "Then you're going to learn now, because it doesn't want, it is commanded. Sit at the circle's edge, this won't happen at once."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina woke to a smooth ceiling and an unfamiliar, chemical scent. She lay in a small room on a bed, no windows. Her clothes had reappeared by now, the same worn prison garb, and with it the collar. Someone had put a block around her wrists too. It felt absurd that she couldn't control the way her magic stored what she wore, right now. If she could just stuff away the block and collar, she'd have a much better change at getting out. Though hungry, she had gotten enough sleep. Escape was really the only thing left, followed by finding her friends and then ... then what?

Some food had been left for her at the door. She gorged it down, it wasn't enough, but after weeks of half rotted prison food and uncooked rats it was heaven.

After a while, someone retrieved her. She was informed this attendant knew the spell to activate her collar so she better not try anything. That wouldn't have stopped her, if not for the information that followed : the king wanted to see her.

She was brought to a domed hall bathed in double moonlight. A crude angular statue of Bahamut loomed above the other and, and right on top its head, the little ghost girl who sometimes accompanied Favaro.

"Oh, hello there," she said, happy to see a friendly face.

The girl waved at her with a sad smile.

"Can you see it?" a familiar someone asked softly. "The phantom?"

In the shadows below the statue stood the king.

"Fate might just be determined to ensure your survival," he said. "And so it that thing, but I still cannot tell whether it sets me right or wrong on the way to my destiny."

He smiled again, that terrible, lovely twist to his face. How could he always look like that even when cruel?

"Chris ..."

"Charioce is all of Chris now, for I am the giant mind they sought among the king's bastards. Chris is on hold."

"No, there's just you. Whatever name you bear, it's got the blood of countless on it."

"That's true," he said so lightly, the tone reminded her of his casual remarks on the time of day, the inconvenience of crowded roads, of a song he was only lukewarm about dancing to.

"That's all you're going to say? All the pain and death in your wake doesn't move you? Even your own people! How many of the humans you enslaved on that island were innocent? How many had crimes so small they should have been freed already? They did not deserve to starve, slave away or die!" She left the gods that he hated away, and herself before she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Unfortunately. Fate is heartless, isn't it? It only cares for its ends no matter how much grief it causes. And so we must be too, if we wish to survive. Everything else is senseless idealism. An evil that masquerades as good," he said. "I have come so far because I understand this."

"What could possibly be worth all this suffering?"

"Swear to my cause and I could tell you, Nina."

"Why? Are you afraid I'll do something you don't like with the information?"

"No, you likely wouldn't. I just need to know whether you are worth it."

Oh, that did it. "How am I supposed to know whether you are worth fealty if you won't tell me what I'm deciding to help with? All I know _now_ is that you're making people suffer!"

"It is either me, or others who will. Suffering shall exist either way." He gestured at her to follow him to a balcony, revealing the state of the city. The forest had partially burned down and the nearby buildings lay in ruins; further was difficult to see due to Rita's persisting fog. But further yet at the lower ring, the fog abruptly stopped.

"Look what Jeanne could have prevented," he said. "If only she had taken the bargain. As things were, I had no choice but to fight this war." That didn't feel quite right, but he went on, "Speaking of choices, here's what Jeanne's new friends just did."

He handed her a telescope; holding it with the block around her wrists wasn't easy but she managed. Part of the fog still reached here, but it was so weak here she saw mostly through it on her own.

From the walls between the upper district and the lower, a line of human bodies had been strung up. Chris zoomed in the lens so it became clear they'd been burned.

"Nobody dared yet to cut them down. The very barrier that was raised around it radiates something accursed. I will have my own soldiers bring them down in the morning."

Nina lowered the telescope. "Who did it?" she asked despite fearing the answer would be Azazel.

"We do not know," Chris said. "She has taken the entire lower ring hostage for reasons yet unspecified, but it should be clear her intentions are evil. She is no different than any demon across the eons : hell bent on the fear and destruction that powers them. There may be individuals better among them, but this is their nation, Nina, their nature. Unlike us humans, they are stagnant, unable to be reasoned with for the better. They cannot be subverted, as so much in the world."

"And you seek to subvert the way the world works?"

"I do. It is a burden I bear." He took her hand and led her back inside; Nina still got butterflies from his touch.

"You know, that sounds epic and all but there's millions carrying that burden for you," Nina through clenched teeth. Anger battled with shame and those damn butterflies for control.

"And a far greater number that shall live to see the future because of it."

He didn't continue, and they reached the hall of Bahamut's prophecy again. She followed his gaze up the statue, but the girl had vanished.

"You won't tell me more?" Nina asked.

"As I said, I must have proof you are worth it."

Fealty was only words for a human, but as a magical creature Nina had been taught to be careful of uttering such words. Did he know that? Did it matter? He didn't really use any kind of magic other than Dromos, did he?

"You want me to just believe that you've got a good reason at the same time as you say it's impossible to reason with any demon ever? I know as little about that new demon as I do about you, so I can only tell you're both bad guys."

"How then do you define a bad guy? Tell me."

He couldn't ask this for real, right? "You don't need me to tell you that! You do all kinds of evil and make laws so everyone can join in. You don't even feel anything bad about your crimes!"

"On the contrary. Because I feel nothing it is that I can do what must be done for the greater good. I was always destined for this, even if I did not realize until later. See, my mother has named me after a god in human form. Kṛiṣṇa." He turned to her and spread his arms. "The role of Charioce, my chariot. Dromos, the way I pass. Even the names itself are befit to the destiny laid out before me as Kris. There was a lesson this god taught to those he guided : _Seeing Arjuna full of compassion, his mind depressed, his eyes full of tears, Madhusūdana, Kṛ_ _i_ _ṣṇa, spoke the following words._ _My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all beﬁtting a man who knows the value of life. They lead not to higher planets but to infamy._ _"_

Nina had heard of those beings, their tale originated in a country to the south of hers, but the god wasn't quite at all like Charioce behaved. "Are you sure you're getting the whole story?"

"You haven't heard the whole yet," he said. "Let me continue : _O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy._ _Therefore, giving up attachment, perform actions as a matter of duty, for by working without being attached to the fruits, one attains the Supreme._ Nina, I did not lie or perform before you. It is merely that I least of all beings on this planet can let my heart matter to me. I must reject you and all that you stand for."

Impotence, that was what he considered his heart? No wonder he wouldn't answer her questions, they'd be trivial too, right? He might even consider it giving in.

"I am your villain too," she just said.

"That is one way to say it, but why focus on that? You and I share a similar struggle against the world."

"I have no struggle," Nina said, more than a little confused. "If you mean my doubt on my friends, before, that was actually just about one."

"I meant your own struggle."

She frowned.

"Truly, you have no heard of the scourge of the eastern mountains, ravaging the lands for flesh?"

That too was a story she'd heard in passing, but ... that wasn't ... it did make a lot of sense ...

"It was you as a dragon feeding on whatever you came across," Chris said. "The rumors reach far, all the way here."

If she had lost time before, and _that_ was what she'd done with it, what did that make her?

"I don't ... that's not whom I want to be. I'm just Nina, the lethal dragon isn't... I don't want it to be all of me. It's not like I ..."

"It is no accusation, Nina, merely a fact. No need to defend yourself for what is only reasonable. As you had to shed blood for your survival, so do I. My scope is merely greater. You might share it, rather than rot away and achieved nothing." he said. "Unlike me, you have not left behind your small view of the world, limited to what is in front of you. You see yourself a killer, only. And still, fate spared you from my hand, the way it has spared me from yours. I cannot kill you and you will not kill me either. In the mirage of this fog I saw no dragon, I saw a reflection of your true self. You need not be my enemy, Nina."

He laid a hand on her cheek, wiping a treacherous tear. "As a dragon you lived the way I do : anything and anyone perished for your own survival and those you care for. All might pass easier if we stand together."

Over his shoulder, Nina spotted the girl ... much older and with horns now. Her slit eyes glared at Charioce before making a little head jerk, telling Nina to get over to her side.

Nina stepped back, ran around him and felt rather than saw : while Charioce had been distracted, the phantom had opened a summoning circle. She stood at the center of the power and faced him.

"No, I might not need to, but I will." Nina strained against the wood until it broke and dislocated the metal. "You can keep your Dromos, I'm going another way."

The circle flared up, but rather than just suck Nina in it filled the entire hall with dark power.

Nina and Chris alike fell, or maybe it was the world that fell away and became irrelevant.

She drifted within a sea cold as night and yet burning with millions of suns. Pressure on all sides : the relentless crashing of the waves from around save above, there lay the writhing pressure of a thousand nails ever shifting on her scales. Flecks of green and orange light rained down, extinguished within the dark ocean.

Far above the mass an ethereal voice sang, but it was hard to hear above the waves and the sound itself was broken and mournful.

Onward, always onward, it had to be that way until the end of time.

Chris was only so small, yet he made it worse because with him came the broken mass. It filtered down, defied the balance of all, and he had no mercy. The thorn, the monster, the scourge that could grow if only he understood anything. He watched her in terror, and she knew at once he didn't see anything.

Nina fell deeper than him, right into the echo of a familiar voice that led her back to the world.

 _Ninati Navratil._

 **· · · · · · ·**

The circle flared alive so crudely, Azazel would have sworn it was another failure, but no. It had hold. Well, that only had taken then twenty nine attempts. Could be worse if Jeanne hadn't already had familiarity with channeling.

Nina was pushed up by the magic, facing Jeanne. A slave collar was around her neck and even from behind it was clear she'd gone without food too long.

"Jeanne, you did it!" Nina fell to her knees, locking her arms around Jeanne's neck. "Thank you!"

Jeanne squeaked under the force, but returned the hug after Nina loosened her grip, then took Nina by the shoulders to face her. "I'm so glad you're still alive. Is everything well?"

Nina nodded, wiping at her face. Probably tears. "As much it can be. Did Rachel and the others get away? What happened?"

"They got away," Jeanne said.

Azazel knelt down behind her, snakes manifesting from his palm before he took hold of the collar. "Stay still."

"Azazel? You got out?" Nina almost turned, but he kept her in place with a firm hand on her shoulder.

"You broke him and many others out," Jeanne said. "So many owe their lives to you, be proud of that."

The serpents wrapped around the collar, worming into the fragile points. He set his fingers between the metal and her skin, then the serpents squeezed until the collar shattered. Barely had Azazel tossed it away, or Nina had closer her arms around his neck too.

"I'm so sorry I left you there and that I didn't kill Charioce and we lost Mugaro and ... and ..."

Oh chaos. He almost lost himself, almost leaning into the embrace, letting his face sink against her neck. But only almost. Too aware of the eyes, and everything that had gone down before, this wasn't ... he didn't need this ...

Careful, he detached her arms and looked away. "I thought you were done with me."

"Don't be ridiculous! Why would I want you to die? I just ... I saw all those people and I didn't know what to do. You did hurt this city once, and ... "

"Yes. I _did_." He stood up and went for a door, couldn't bear to be in here longer. Not with Nina like that, all remorseful over some stupid thing.

"But if I'd—"

"Stop it. We lost. That's all that matters." No need to dwell on any of that.

"No!" Nina stood up. "Everything matters! Things went wrong and we didn't know enough and we need to because—"

"Why? What do you need to know? Do you think I'm going to slaughter the next town we come across?"

"No! That's not what it's about! Okay, I do still want to have a plan where I know what happens _after_ , but this wasn't ... this wasn't ..."

"It wasn't what?"

She looked on the verge of crying. He couldn't handle this. Couldn't she just drop it? She had a literal saint to comfort her and talk to about heroic plans and what not.

Said saint tactfully decided not to comment, so Azazel used the silence for for tactful evasion by opening the door and dropping out.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Wait!" Nina darted after him till the door, but to no avail.

"I am so sick of guys who won't talk!" She stomped on the floor. She stood there for a while before speaking in a much more cheerful voice, "Hippogryph, please land."

Jeanne just sat on the floor as she finally had time to sort out today.

After two years of slavery and starvation's monotony : breaking out of jail with the help of demons, her child going to war, finding her gods slaughtered all over the place, finding Kaisar only now turning against Charioce, finding her new friend an object of possibly twisted affection of her own king who was still her enemy, owing her life to her apparently former enemy, dabbling with hell's magic, and then seeing Azazel practically break down from a hug only to flee in a fit of awkwardness. How was she going to bring any of this up next time she prayed to Michael? Asking for strength and guidance, surely given in form of spiritual fortitude, wouldn't cut it.

One matter was clear though : for all the madness, she was at last on the way to find El.

They landed in an open forest on the side of a hill. Nina scrambled up a tree to peer around; Jeanne half expected the demon to just leave them behind, Nina clearly did not.

Jeanne herself stood next to the tired holy beast that pulled the carriage, letting her hand brush across its feathers, but her eyes on the world around her. It was her first time in years to even see the sun and find nature around herself. The morning glory lay dim on the horizon and early mist of fall rolled over the slopes; sights she had never heeded before when she had basked in the radiance of the gods, and then mourned in their absence. Cold began to sting at Jeanne's bare feet, but she stayed outside to behold the world a little longer.

She sensed the demon's return before Nina saw him. "Nina, come down, he's here."

Nina just came down when Azazel emerged from the shadows, dragging something along.

"Don't just fly off like that!" Nina said.

Azazel held up the dead deer. "You didn't complain about that during our mountain trek."

"This is different, we didn't have a lot of things going on then and — oh, you really _are_ dense," Nina smiled wryly. Jeanne worried whether it was good or bad, that Nina now had half smiles, but at least it wasn't the forced cheer.

"Do you need to eat or do you need to insult me?" Azazel said.

"I can be pretty dense too, it's good to acknowledge." Nina took one of the deer's legs and started tearing it off, but stopped to give Jeanne an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but I have to eat. It'll be messy."

"Go ahead," Jeanne said. "But I think I can make a fire."

Jeanne turned over the carriage's inside and found no lighter. The lamps were powered by divine magic though. She held a paper close and flicked her finger against it. It didn't burn her, but the spark caught could be kindled. In disrespectful moments in the past, she'd sometimes flicked Maltet to start a fire for her troops when nature or demons did not allow.

In her absence someone had pilled up some wood. Someone who had no idea what was the right wood, but magic would work around it. She kindled the fire while Nina finished a deer leg, sating her worst hunger. Azazel sat by, almost absentminded as he pulled the deer into smaller pieces. Jeanne had to suppress queasiness, not because of the blood but the casual way they could just tear the flesh apart. They were so much stronger than humans and she had seen so much of that strength used to ruin humans in the past. Then she'd had powers to stop it, now she didn't have to.

During her years living in her outskirt cottage, hunting often had saved her from starvation, though she had stopped doing it after El arrived. Bacchus had a knife in the carriage, but it was too blunt for this work.

"Azazel, can you manifest a sharper knife?"

Wordless, he tossed her a black blade. It was a little too long, like he'd just tried modifying his sword, but it worked. While she worked, she idly wondered whether asking a demon for cutlery qualified her for the sin of bidding demons. Well, even if it didn't, her summoning Nina through a demonic circle certainly did.

The knife being too long turned out useful to stick it next to the fire and roast bits on it. From there on she sat with Nina while Azazel vanished into the woods again.

Digging into meat and eating herself full after years of starvation was almost too good to be true. She was full sooner than Nina. To kill the time, Jeanne recounted to Nina everything she had seen after she turned into a dragon up until what she'd seen with Charioce. _That_ she was not ready to breach yet. Nina was very elusive about her waking up, even if accounting for her rabid gnawing. That was a clear enough cue to keep this till later. Nina had already told her all she knew of Mugaro, so perhaps it was time to hear something about the actual rebellion. Nina was able to pin point the names of two demons Jeanne had seen, and seemed worried when Jeanne couldn't confirm having seen others.

Azazel returned with two more deer, which Jeanne roasted and Nina devoured most of. Despite that, there was enough for Jeanne to keep for later. Another thing she had missed, not having to worry for food.

Nina glowed as she ate. Literary. It didn't quite become a transformation, and Nina seemed quietly pleased that the power waved like this. Azazel didn't sit with them, he leaned against a tree, but close enough for Jeanne to see his eyes widening at the light. When Nina noticed this, she gave an apologetic grin and continued eating.

They were strange together. Some unpleasant tension hung between them, yet they had a rhythm they fell into as if no time had passed. Nina gave frequent worried glances at the snakes without asking, while Azazel struck a middle ground between hovering around her and moving away at first excuse.

"So, what do we do now?" Nina asked after she was done eating.

"I still want to find El," Jeanne said. "But I do not know where heaven is. Azazel, you surely do?"

"You want to go there, and then what? The gods abducted Mugaro, do you think they're gonna let you take her out of there just because you're her mother?"

"The gods would not need to abduct El," Jeanne said, affronted on reflex.

"I saw it. They used the metanoia rosary spell for capturing wayward gods," Azazel said. "Mugaro would not have left on her own, not at that time."

"Do we speak of the same child? El is a boy," she said, not because she didn't believe Nina so much as she didn't want to think of gods dragging _her_ child off.

"Rita and I thought so to but apparently not. It works differently in heaven than here," he said. "Nobody was there for you two when El was born, or was there?"

No, and that stung even more than the idea the of the gods seizing her child. "El fought for them regardless. The gods may be harsher but—"

Azazel's scoffing laugh cut her off. He suppressed it as quickly as she did the desire to rebuke him. Having a debate with a demon was not something she would hazard yet.

"We'll just ask them when we get there." Nina clapped her hands together, grinning. "I guess that means we might be jumping some clouds again when we get there."

At Jeanne's confused stare, Nina added "Azazel and I were there before to grab some of his old buddies from rock prison. He can open gates to heaven."

"No."

"What, why not?"

"I have no idea where the closest nexus is, I used up what little holy magic I generate on the last trek, and the gods will have made extra precautions after last time. With Mugaro there they'll have more energy to invoke."

Nina leaned closer to Jeanne and said, "Bet he's too proud to admit he's too sick. Those snakes are absolutely _not_ normal."

"I can hear you and those have nothing to do with my ability to make gates," Azazel grumbled.

"It doesn't matter, I know another way," Nina said. "Let's go to my home! I want to see my mother anyway and we can get new clothes and good food and best of all, the old lady who runs the village knows the way to Vanaheimr."

"Really?" Jeanne asked.

"Yep, it's one of her favorite stories. After Bahamut was defeated she carried the exhausted gods back to heaven. She still knows the way and always complains she doesn't really have a good reason to go visit. Let's give her one!"

"It would mean the world to me," Jeanne said.

Azazel didn't respond, or at least tried to seem impassive. Jeanne didn't know what to make of the way his left eye twitched. Then he vanished yet again, to Nina's disappointment.

Jeanne was going to need a new way of reading demons, which now seemed trivial compared to what she might have to think of the gods. She least of all had any business doubting them, and Azazel as a demon might just feel inclined to lie for the hell of it, but still ... she _had_ been left alone for years. The first angel to turn up at her door had been sheer chance as she had been hunted down. Her duty as a worshiper of the gods were clear, but she couldn't quite shake that sometimes the gods made it hard to catch on to them.

Having nothing else to do, she found a quiet place to pray.

 **· · · · · ·**

Sofiel's duties in the aftermath of the siege had doubled. So many needed tending from new trauma and loss, a matter left only in her hands as Gabriel found it secondary to fortifying.

Gabriel did not take the loss well, nor the disobedience of either her troops nor El. Sofiel could feel it all over the palace, in the way her impatience drove the servants and how the passed more rules and demanded faster work.

Worst, Gabriel had noticed the shared look and El being upset afterward. At first she had assumed El had simply reacted out of misplaced compassion, but only until El showed an interest in the arena.

Sofiel had noticed something earlier, and hadn't spoken and Gabriel hadn't cared. Now after the war, she cared. One did not lie easily to the queen of heaven and she had soothsayers like Veritas at her disposal.

"I believe they may be familiar with each other," she said. "We found El aiding Azazel's rebellion, as I'm sure you deduced from my report." Sofiel wasn't ready to spill she had cooperated with Azazel during that first rebellion. There would never be a good time for this.

So now, council had been called. Those warriors that had survived and many of the elder gods altogether in a hall, gathering far more faces of authority than Gabriel could usually stand.

Sofiel escorted El into the center of them, staying there with nur in clear sight. Behind them the circle of gods closed.

"Ah, El," Gabriel said tightly. "We were just discussing some very relevant matters. El ... you should know, El is honestly such an unfit name. We ought to give you a better one."

"What?" El asked.

"El just means God. We used it as a respectful closure in our names, such as Gabriel : god is strength. Uriel, God is light. Michael, who is like God? Raphael, God heals. El Elyon, the very first god, the most high. Only El Elyon ought to have vun name begin with El. All others of us belong to El. Your mother of course did not know this, surely she did not act out of _pride_ when she named you thus. However, you must understand it is unfit, especially knowing you are flawed."

"Oh. Can I be called Mugaro then?" El asked.

That prompted murmurs of what a crude name that was, who would even imagine such a thing, even worse fit for a deity.

"Where did you imagine such a name? Perhaps the one you had while mute?" Gabriel said. "Well?"

"Uh ... from the one who took me in."

"And who was that?"

El cast a quick look at Sofiel, but what could she say?

"I wonder why this person never learned of your nature, if they could be trusted to name you? If you had been brought to a church, perhaps even our ally in Anatae, we might have found you much sooner. So you understand, we are very curious?"

Sofiel's heart sank as she realized where Gabriel was going. She couldn't stand that she might have made a mistake, so it had to be El. A scapegoat, and the very demon involved was so convenient for this. Could she stop this? She didn't want to bring El into this mess, but there was no going back, was there? Gabriel wouldn't let it drop.

"It was a demon, so he didn't go to the church," El muttered.

"What was the demon's name?" Veritas asked.

"Uhm ... "

"You have a voice again, child. Use it," Gabriel said. "If there is any impurity we might yet purge from you we must know where to begin."

"Go on," Baldr said. "We won't punish you for it, we mere have to know."

"Azazel."

"Oh dear order," Gabriel said with what Sofiel knew was feigned shock — they'd been over this before, after all. "You were kept by _Azazel_? How terrible!"

"He didn't ... " but El's voice drowned under the murmurs that rose in the hall.

Sofiel laid her hand on El's shoulders, trying to offer quiet support. None of this felt right, more like strings strangling around the child than sage wisdom coming to aid.

Gabriel let the noise go on, and word of Azazel's past crimes filled to the ceiling until she deemed it enough. It raised her hand once, then higher again before the gods quieted.

El stood still, eyes turned down.

"Child, you must speak wisely and not raise your voice in favor of a sinner. Understood?"

"I don't know about any of this," El said, strained. Perhaps angry, but ne kept it down and only sounded insecure.

"Oh, it is not your fault what happened then, you were but a child," Gabriel said. "But you must understand you are responsible for your actions now. I shall show you a few things so you can form a better judgment. You can become lighter, so next time we face Charioce, your mind will be unclouded. Then surely you will defeat Dromos."

"Unclouded?"

"You understand heaven gains extra strength from faith, right?" Baldr asked.

Gabriel had actually avoided telling El too much about that because it made gods sound dependent more than saviors. So, El shook nur head and just looked very confused, while Sofiel pressed her lips together and kept her tongue.

"You see, there is a strong spiritual aspect to how our powers work and you may unwittingly have been tainted by demonic creed," Gabriel said.

El looked up at Sofiel again, pleading for help. Gabriel gave her a sterner gaze to match, and countless eyes were with her.

Sofiel quieted her mind and told herself this was necesary for the survival of their nation — any trivial concerns were for after the defeat of Charioce. If such a time came before he found a way to transport Dromos to heaven.

"Lady Gabriel is right, El," she said. "You must become wiser."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina lay buried under piles of blankets on one of the side couches, only the tufts of her hair visible. Jeanne on the opposite couch had shed two blankets and twisted every few minutes. Particularly when he moved, which was plenty since he could not sleep and his magic just wouldn't behave.

Jeanne d'Arc was Mugaro's mother, something he still didn't how to handle. By chaos, when Mugaro had stood at the statue ... had she actually pointed at the carving of him, or just passed it over to indicate she was no demon, but holy? Or to indicate that conflict between demons her mother fought? Whatever, she hadn't asked about _him_ , hadn't even _realized_ it was him, she'd tried to tell him who her mother was and he, complete idiot, had misunderstood and made it worse.

What if it had gone differently, and Mugaro hadn't gotten so scared? Mugaro had wanted to help them. He could't help but wonder how different would it have gone if they'd know, even as the idea of using Mugaro for warfare sickened him.

He turned over on the couch and Jeanne flinched again. Oh for ...

"You realize if I wanted to try anything I'd have done that already, right?"

She sighed. "I am well aware. I do not think you will harm us, but my instincts are burned deep. My experiences with demons has prior to this day have been only negative."

"Tch."

Jeanne sat up at least. "You call my child Mugaro. Did you give that name?"

"Yes," Azazel said.

"And you had a _house_?"

What kind of a question was that? "I _am_ capable of living in places that aren't ominous castles," he said. " And while we're at the stupid legends, don't bother with holy water."

"No, I just ... find it such a strange idea to think of you keeping a house and holding down a job in my city. You weren't a slave?"

"Not before Charioce caught me. I had enough money to tend to Mugaro. We got money by working in the arena, cleaning up after the death matches."

"As you once set for Favaro and Kaisar," she said sharply. "Is that why you took a job there?"

"I _didn't_ teach Mugaro anything like that!" he snapped, raising himself on his elbows. "How can I when my own people ..."

It sounded absurd, he knew that. Hypocrite.

Nina stirred in her sleep, so he kept his voice down when he continued, "I took the job because it was there. I didn't keep El to have a successor or anything, El kept me."

"Oh," she said, not sounding very impressed. "Look, Azazel, I know something must have changed for Kaisar to take such a risk for you. You and him have quite the ... unpleasant history. Why did he aid you?"

"I don't know, he's out of his mind on his stupid chivalry. Millions of my people and it's _me_ he fixates on saving. But ... " Azazel cover his eyes with his hand, trying to block the light. " ... he's not entirely wrong. There are things I've done that I won't revisit."

After a silence, she said, "Can you tell me everything I missed? I want to know whatever I can of El's years that I wasn't there for, and what Kaisar and the Orleans Knights have been up to."

"You're not going to like half of that story."

"I'm used to not liking many facts of my life. Let the truth come, I will bear it."

Azazel half smirked, "Mugaro ... I guess she's one of those gods with the sense to follow power. She showed up at my home, I sent her away ... and one day it rained like the night I found her, putting her out the door was ... you know, too much, and I let her stay. Mugaro kept staying, and then I had to figure out what a kid actually needs and ... she wasn't a problem. It wasn't difficult, there was just a lot of things ... why on earth doesn't she know the difference between a candle and soap?"

Jeanne smiled. "Wax. Soap is more expensive than candles. Even on the rare time I had money for soap, El's chores didn't include washing anyway. But you have to tell me the darker things too, please. Nina said El was mute. How did she communicate? And Nina didn't describe El in rags, so you must've been better off if only a little — is there any new food El got that she liked?

"You're really challenging my patience," he said, not at all serious. Of all the absurdities and humiliation since the fall of Cocytus, being interrogated by a saint was the least unpleasant yet.

"Hmm. I think you might owe me a little," she said. Right, he'd invaded her city unprovoked and sicced Pazuzu on her.

"I can live with that, if you _let_ me live, saint."

"I will have to bear, for I am no more saint. Just called Jeanne."

"And I am not Lucifer's right hand at time, for what that's worth." Probably nothing. "Anyway, Mugaro has hand signs that I can recognize, but often the looks are clear enough ..."

 **· · · · · · ·**


	14. Sanctuary

· · · · · · ·

"Don't worry, they always let me do this cause I don't turn into a dragon when anyone bites," Nina said. "I give the kids some candy afterward and tell them to be careful with the bleeding, but I don't have candy now."

Holding Jeanne's jaw with the other hand, Nina pinched the rotted tooth out of her mouth, getting a yelp from her patient in return. While Jeanne spat blood, Nina folded the tooth with the others in a bit of paper.

"Well done!" Jeanne just threw her lunch up. Hmm, that usually didn't happen with the kids.

When Nina stood up, she found Azazel at the edge of the clearing, gaping. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Just pulling some rotted teeth," Nina said.

"Rotting?" Azazel's face twisted like he'd swallowed a fly. "But she's still alive. Is she cursed by Dromos?"

"No," Nina said, too tired to go into detail. "It's just part of bottom line mortality. We can rot while we're still alive."

Nina went into the woods with the teeth and found a strong tree. Any part of people was to be given back to the earth, so Nina buried them here.

On the way back, she gathered. It was late August or something and the first mushrooms were out; Jeanne and Nina both knew which were edible. Azazel with his flight and serpents could hunt easily. Still, she wished they hadn't unloaded all the food from the carriage. Bacchus and Hamsa hasn't even done it all the way, they'd kept some wine. Most of those were empty now thanks to Azazel, so Nina rinsed them and filled them with clear water for the journey.

Jeanne still sat in the same place when she returned, gazing at the meadow like it was a treasure. The sunlight did make it lovely here, but to Nina it highlighted mostly just how sickly Jeanne was. Full of scars, emaciated where Nina was only thin, eyes sunken deep in her skull. Her hair had matted and twisted, calluses covered her feet and hands. It'd become better soon, Nina vowed. She'd make it so.

Azazel stood with the hippogryph, who was weary of his presence; apparently the carriage had been tiny before and he'd had to kicked it to make it grow. Azazel blamed drunk magic, but the hippogryph hadn't like it. Now he tried to feed it something in what Nina guessed was an attempt to make peace.

"What's that?" Nina asked.

"Feed that'll keep vun going without having to graze," he said. "And hopefully get it to take my orders better."

Nina could guess he had some trouble with that, but he didn't elaborate. Short sentences was the most she got out of him, and she feared that if she pushed he'd avoid her again. Most of the time he already traveled outside the carriage, she didn't want that to get worse.

Another serpent broke from his arm again. It was usually the same spots, and the left side of his face had started scabbing. He was sick too, if in a different way than Jeanne. She couldn't even imagine what it must've been. Jeanne had mentioned they'd gotten him from the arena and that there was some kind of poison like Amira's, that was as far as she knew, and he wouldn't talk.

They'd been through hell, and they were only two freed while so many more suffered. If only she had killed Charioce. If only she could control her dragon self. She couldn't do anything about that yet, but she could make things a little better for these two. Once they'd been reunited with Mugaro, she'd see what they'd do about the kingdom. For now, that meant climbing a tree, reading the last of the stars and directing the hippogryph the right way. One step at a time.

· · · · · · ·

Rumors went through the ranks of the castle that reflected the protests of the upper district. Between the lower distrct taken over by demonic forces and the castle trying to recoup from the war lay a district of middle to rich people more than a little discontent. Charioce's reputation was in tatters with both the war, and an unparalleled hostage situation at his hands.

If one thing was good about being on an airship, it was leaving those behind the perpetual reminders of the kingdoms's erosion. Karl von Essenbeck might as well be bursting from the seams with pleasure at this scenario, and his blimp was positioned to overlook the fiasco by floating at the hillside of Anatae, right atop a gathering army of promised but late reinforcements.

Kaisar had joined the Black Troupe after sending word to the castle he would manage relations, which was entirely true. He just was managing it with duplicious intentions. That led him to the sickbay of Karl's ship[, where a doctor investigated Rocky and its recent implant with entirely too much needles and no words at all. Not until Karl called him up did Kaisar get some kind of prognosis.

Karl sat in a wine red room, thick curtains and the scent of smoke. Kaisar was invited to take a seat with him at an small rounded coffee table. It had overlook at the wasted city, but unlike when Kaisar had met up with the man, now his attention was on Rocky.

"May I see?"

Kaisar stretched his arm and Rocky unfolded; they had agreed that when in public Rocky would pretend to not be sapient. Fortunately. The stone itself would be enough of a problem.

Karl had a report from the doctor, which he skimmed over while looking at the green stone.

"Someone must have treated this before," Karl said. "The usual stones cannot just be implanted on people."

Kaisar hesitated, and almost at once Karl said, "If I am to cover for you, we must play open cards."

"A demoness worked with it in such a way that she diminished its harm to her and ... well, this hand. It's ... it's an independent entity. After I lost it, a zombie master bit it."

"Did this zombie master do anything to it that made it resistant?"

"No, it happened ten years ago. If anything changes, it must have been Belphegor."

"Oh my, Belphegor is your demoness? Really?"

"Is that surprising?"

"A demon known for sharing knowledge with humankind," Karl said. "She was a much desired pact demon, but too crafty to bind. Do you have any idea what she did?"

"I don't think she herself knows, she finds this whole thing rather illogical. Perhaps it was Rocky."

Karl raised an eyebrow.

"It's the name Rita gave to my hand."

"Really," Karl deadpanned. "Sometimes I feel like reconsidering XVII's fate mumbo jumbo, but maybe I should consider a ruse. Ah well, we shall see. So, here is what we will do : you return to the castle and I will claim I gave you this rock as an emergency feature due to trouble with gods that had failed to retreat. In a fit of chivalric heroism, you offered to take the stone when I was about to infect myself."

Kaisar couldn't say that would fit him anymore, when it had been Rocky who had done so. But maybe he would have if this situation was real; Karl wasn't the risk of dishonor in the way Azazel was.

"That may be about as credible as we could invent," Kaisar said. "I will provide you whatever information I can, and I trust you will keep me up to word on the Black Troupe's plans."

"Naturally, lord Lidfard," Karl said. "I would shake your hand, but where we come from we shake with the left and yours is, well, not that healthy."

Kaisar sat back and folded his hands, forcing down the urge to defend his honor — this was a sacrifice, not a disease.

Karl continued, "A few others thing I would like to know now : is it true that the rag demon is Azazel, that Jeanne d'Arc was indeed Charioce's prisoner, and that they escaped together?"

"Yes, all of those are true."

"Oh my heritage. This will be something grand," Karl said, sounding more like he meant delightful doom. "And is it true Favaro Leone is on their side?"

"... yes. Why is that relevant?"

Karl held up three finger and said, "What those three share in common is _reputation_. Favaro is a rogue hero, Jeanne a beloved saint and Azazel a feared monster. Each of them opposing our king has a different effect for what I like to call the infrastructure of respect. What I would like you to do as a member of our circle is to test the waters and further undermine this respect."

Kaisar smiled wryly. "There already is plenty there, and not only on my behalf. The Orleans Knights long for the old days of glory, when we lived by the code and fought without trickery and magic."

"Excellent. Let's take that further," Karl said. "I would like it to leak to the inner and the urban circles that the rag demon is Azazel, Anatae's invader, and that he has been here for years. I want to destroy the idea that humans have truly been safe under our king and his intended media route that this is all the fault of the gods. I also want Favaro Leone to be known as being an underground hero actively opposing the king. Can you make that happen?"

Kaisar nodded. "What if the king traces this back to me? His network is quite thorough."

"The king will not easily dispose of you because you are a hostage," Karl said with a chuckle.

"What?"

"Come now, I hinted this already. You were followed before, and now he keeps you around for something. I'm not sure what, though."

"It's because of Rita," Kaisar said. "She is the zombie master I referred to before."

"Well ... that explains the undead dragon Merlin was using the other day. Alright, maybe we can do something about that. We will speak later, once I have considered what to do with all the interesting things I learn from you."

None of this man's plans involved the demons coming out alright, but in between Charioce and Karl, the latter was more likely to take things the right direction. Restoring the knights to honor would automatically mean a better fate for the citizens, human and demonic alike.

He wanted the Orleans Knights to come out of this with their honor intact. There was no way around it, and perhaps it wasn't the most noble he could do ... but he couldn't be like Jeanne and just throw it all away. She had done so once, no surprise she was willing to leave it all behind again. He'd find a different way.

· · · · · · ·

Jeanne didn't get better, so they had to take way more stops than healthy humans would've needed. He didn't mind. Mugaro would be safer in heaven for now, he didn't have to be there, if at all.

Whenever their stops were close to an area with a strong nexus, Azazel would sit down and try to summon. It had worked somehow with Jeanne and Nina, and despite the odds he'd been able to tap into hell's reservoir before to summon skeletal warriors, which he's initially assumed with Rita's presence making it easier. It clearly wasn't.

He always sat down with his eyes closed for concentration, but Nina was loud so he noticed her well before she crashed into the meadow.

"What're you doing?"

Might as well take a break. "I'm trying to summon Belphegor. She wasn't anywhere in sight when I picked up Jeanne."

If she was captured he'd break her out that way, if not then ... well, she's be further from danger anyway.

"Oh, that's why hunting sometimes takes you longer? Is is that nexus stuff? Any luck?"

"Obviously not."

"What if she didn't make it?" Nina whispered.

"No, she's alive. I just can't summon her. I don't get it, it worked with you."

"Uh, I think someone helped out with me. There's this ghost girl who hangs around Favaro, and she turned into a demon and made a gate on my end, and there even was this weird vision thing ... Hey, if you can use this to figure out who's alive, what about the others? Are Dante and Eligos okay?"

"They are dead." Just shut up.

"Are you sure? Maybe Belphegor's just more sensitive to earth nexuses? She's spent more time here, right?"

"I saw them die." Please shut up.

"Oh ... I'm sorry," Nina said and she meant it and it was annoying what the hell was she even apologizing for? "Anyway, I think Jeanne needs a doctor. She can't keep anything down and she just passed out for a while. She's awake now, but she can't stand without getting dizzy."

That spurred her to speculate on how to get a doctor and how to pay, which Azazel solved by just flying to the nearest town and finding a doctor.

The human in question was a short old guy with glasses and the thick robes of a more traditional type, wandering home after visiting a patient. He started shaking in his boots because of course, conveniently turned to run. Azazel grabbing him by the coat and flew off.

When he set the human down at the carriage, Nina said, "Azazel, I was gonna go to the village and _ask_."

"This was quicker. It's not like you can pay him anyway." He shoved the man to Jeanne, who tried to look affronted but was too busy staying upright on her rock. "Figure out what's wrong with her and fix it."

One of the benefits of looking the way he did, wings out and all, was that he didn't even have to threaten anyone. The guy would be spinning all sorts of horror scenarios in his head. Looming over terrified humans was no good for their producitivity, though, so he stood at the edge of the grove. Nina came to stand with him.

"You're gonna fly him back after this, right?" she asked.

Probably not, now he thought of it.

"Don't kill him, okay?"

Azazel dragged his thoughts back to existence and realized that oh, right. Witnesses. "He could betray us to those following."

That set Nina off into a sputtering rant, "We can't know that. Never, we're too ... too small to see predict everything right. I mean, make that call. Whe'd just be guessing, because we have no idea who he is, other than that he's someone who decided to make saving people his job. Come on, do you really want to kill him, or is it just your first solution? Cerberus was able to deal with that knight kid somehow, right? ... What did she do anyway?"

"Fed both of them really drunk or got some incriminating material, I don't know nor care. Things we cannot do with any credibility ... you know I spared that damn captain with the weird hair? He saved Charioce from you that one time you did try to kill him. Who knows what will happen."

"Well, we're still just guessing. Maybe we'd all die if this doctor turns us in and maybe it won't matter and probably won't matter and so when it comes to these decisions, can't we just let him live? It's not the same as with Kaisar, he doesn't have any power, and we can't just go around and kill everyone who is sligthly inconveniencing us!"

What the hell? She hadn't, and he hadn't done that either ... who was she even talking to? Him of course, and that was more than grating. He hadn't even done anything since that blond brat.

Nina blubbered on, "It's not the same as with people who hurt others okay. I get that. I'd ... I get that, but this is different. You know that, right? This isn't a bad person."

"I know it's not the same, but you brought it up!"

Why was she so anxious about this? Or had she always been? Given that he'd failed to notice Mugaro's holy powers, how much else did he miss?

Did she need him to actually state the obvious? That just was that it felt like be was bowing, something he had resented for years. Then again, he had been forced to bow regardless, and it had been done by making him kill when he didn't want to. In light of all that, it shouldn't be so difficult to cave a little to Nina. Even if her anxiety didn't make sense.

"I won't kill him," he said.

That wiped the tension off her so easily, it was ridiculous.

When the doctor cast them another weary glance as he approached, Nina actually flat out said, "Don't worry, come on over, we're not gonna kill you or anything!"

Azazel face palmed.

"For what it's worth, nobody would believe me. Especially if I were to include your names. Now if you don't mind, I'd prefer to walk home. It'll give me time to convince myself I accidentally drank mushroom brew."

"And?" Nina asked. "How's Jeanne doing?"

"It's clear she has been starved and overworked for years. She says she's been eating meat. That won't do, her stomach cannot handle that kind of food after so long on a meager diet," he said. "I suggest you feed her soup and broth, and increase the meat and other rich foods in smallest of increments. She also has numerous infections and suffers from hypertension. I don't have medicine for that at hand because I was abducted and couldn't pact, so I suggest you get some soon. I do have medicine that makes her sleepy, but that may affect the stool. I also recommend to do something about the calluses, because they make walking harder and she may just have brittler bones. She must be more careful than usual to avoid breaking anything."

He pressed a package in Nina's hands. "Again, understand that eating normal food will kill her the way she is now. It will take time to get adjusted to a regular diet. I suggest you seek out another doctor soon ... and maybe not abduct them. Just visit at night time or something?"

"Alright, thank you for your help. We'll be careful."

The doctor nodded a few times before fleeing from the grove. Nina walked with him for a little anyway. Azazel just went back to trying to summon Belphegor. The last he wanted was sit around and watching someone else die.

· · · · · · ·

Someone tried to summon her again, but couldn't even offer the energy to make it pass. Belphegor ignored it and focused on the work she didn't know how to do beyond cracking open this lock and freeing whoever was inside.

The stench of liquor, spells and sweat greeted her. Scarce beds lined the wall. On them intoxicated women lay, each with their horns and wings cut off. A storage more than a bedroom, it was no unusual fare for slave quarters in the seediest parts of the red light district.

"I found them!" she called up before going in. "Don't be afraid, it's over. Your master is dead. Anyone who can get up, please do."

Lines spoken so often, she found it difficult to sound gentle.

"Is the king defeated?" one asked, barely able to focus on Belphegor's face.

She hated to say, "No. We have a complicated situation. Let's just get you all out of here first."

Olivia had no rescue teams going; she set free stronger slaves but didn't provide any medical aid or food. Rather, she encouraged them to run rampant on the city. Cerberus was setting up a little kingdom in the slums and winning the support of gangs and gladiators and had a tentative truce with Malphas and Divesepid for now. That left Belphegor to look after the remainder. For her team she had just Durahanem and Rachel with her group.

"Out there will be humans with green shards in their arms, be assured you do not need to fear them. They are our fellows," she said. "And they are enemies of the king."

Rachel and her followers were content to break down the red light district for now, where Belphegor knew her way around. With the looting, she needed that, but it probably wouldn't last. She wasn't Eligos, had no idea what to do next after freeing people, while Rachel itched to take down the kingdom. For now though. That was all she could work on.

They had a row of carts on the street, where they loaded food, clothing and most importantly survivors. Durhanem had a few other orcs and some of the skeletal warriors to pull them, with the humans encircling the small caravan in case anyone tried to claim the food.

When Belphegor emerged after the last survivor, she found Rachel aside the door, throwing up.

"Are you alright?" Belphegor asked.

"I shouldn't have eaten that pork," Rachel mumbled, but she kept walking. Her lower arms had blackened with countless veins, which began to show up elsewhere on her body too. Skin around it flaked.

"Once we get home I'll try something else to hinder the leeching," Belphegor said. "Maybe I need another metal for the bracelets ..."

"No, it's definitely the food. I think I need poorer crap. Saw some demons with the same problem, all got ill after stuffing themselves," Rachel said. "I'm doing better than them if you ask me. Or those folks."

Rachel nodded at the women on the cart. Most of them were numb, huddled under blankets without much response. Their collars still glowed, but the real problem was the drugs that kept them compliant.

"So, what are you going to do with them?"

Belphegor ran her hands through her hair. "I have no idea. I'm a scientist, not a community manager."

"Yeah, you just had Adva and her friends wander the slums with nowhere to go," Durahanem said. "Cerberus won't be interested in taken them in, not in this state."

"Listen, I'm trying!" she snapped. "I just can't science my way out of this, I don't have answers."

"Uh ... if you wanna science, when we get back you could construct something closer the heart?" Rachel held up her arm with the thing she'd based on the cannister in Kaisar's home. "Cause this stuff's making me feel at least a little better."

"I'll do that," Belphegor said. "But it won't be enough."

Not nearly. She had imagined that killing Charioce would lead to an uprising if they played it right. Dante's wish for them all to get out of the city, perhaps return with an army of Lucifer, that had still been followed with the idea of a clean liberation.

Further down the street was human pimp being ganged upon by his forther slaves, face slashed upon so he couldn't cast the torture spell.

Behind Belphegor, a cloud walmed up to reveal Furfur. The tip of the deer head dropped next to her, whispering, "Why not keep those alive a little longer, see how much pain you can inflict yet? Don't they deserve to suffer more?"

"We have the victims to tend to first," she said yet again. Furfur had been going throughout the shadows with such whispers, so prevalent that one might think he was the voice of all. Determined to ignore it, she picked up the handles of the cart.

Rachel took a step clsoer to Furfur, who disappeared right away. "You think that guy's not that strong? He keeps shying away even from me. I'm not exactly a trained warrior."

"Let's not find out," Belphegor said. "Everyone, comfortable? We're going now."

That got a weak yes. She expected most who got themselves healthy again would join under Cerberus's wing, now she had expanded her reign more. A few would perhaps join Olivia. Neither of the two ladies were that urgent in obtaining followers, there wasn't a creed yet either put forth. Belphegor didn't know how to pull together a stance of her own, either.

They passed through silent streets. Humans had either holed up or were herded away by Olivia's faction. Here and there a home was broken open and demons freed, much like her own endeavors, scattered bursts of relief.

Below the reunions and the joy of their relative liberation, the ugly backdrop became clearer and clearer.

Olivia's human and demon allies went around, untouched as they whispered of Olivia's new court, promising the downfall of Charioce while being entirely too vague on how they hoped to achieve that.

On one corner stood an elderly demon, preaching to a hopeless audience. "We are not free! The humans will slaughter us if that barrier comes down! There won't be mercy! That fallen angel has brought us a whole new host of problems!"

Through the window of one house was visible a human made to serve their former slaves. It could be worse, it could be better.

A group of human teenagers had mingled with freed demons, shouting of revolution in the name of the Red Troupe.

Another block had a small feast going on, mead and meat and salt and bread ransacked from the surrounding shops with no regard for future food shortages; and there would be because the armies from the other provinces had already arrived. Any traders would be redirected before they even close close to the demonic barrier.

On the plaza below the barely repaired tower stood the largest group of demons yet, gathered around a dozen pyres. On it burned the skeletons of countless slaves throw into mass graves or set to compost piles. There was no celebration here.

Belphegor resisted the urge to stop, as she'd done at first. Demons did not pray, they remiscienced, and she had run out of fond memories both of the hell and of the land of humans.

· · · · · · ·

The sun loomed over the horizon, early promise of a warm day. Nina had wrapped herself in blankets against the biting cold of the autumn night, which she braved because they were almost home and the hippogryph needed to be told where to land. She had some trouble with that herself since she'd never flown here. Or flown at all.

Half her mind was on ran everything she wanted to say again, only to change the words again. What she told her mother would be most important, and ... and ... too painful to be entirely honest about and ... oh, she recognized the silhoutte of those mountains!

"Hippogryph, a little to the south ... yes, now ahead!"

A light trickly of power brushed across her as if she fell through water when they passed the anti summoning barrier . That had to be from the magic awareness she's learned from Azazel and Jeanne. She so had to get them to teach her more, but first she climbed to the door and swung herself in.

"I hereby welcome you to my home valley!"

Azazel didn't respond and Jeanne's attempt to talk resulting in throwing up again. Not morning people clearly.

Nina climbed out and was about to huddle up again when a dragon rose from the forest's edge, soon swerving to fly next to her. Aww crud, that was Militsa on watch duty.

The dragon spun overhead, transformed and landed on the roof. Militsa was so good with transformation, she could appear instantly with her hands on her hips and a glare on her face. Not even a hair was dislodged from her braid.

"Ninati, what the everloving earth are you doing with a divine carriage?"

"Uh, it's a long story," she said. "Can we do this once we landed?"

"You're landing at the check point," she said.

Oh, no, they'd search the carriage and find a knight and a demon. Nope.

"I've got sick people on board so no, I'm going right home, right, hippo? Don't like that and you can try to see how anti-gravity magic works on your flight."

The hippogryph rattled in what probably meant yes, and Nina hoped that meant the hippogryph could actually mess with that.

Militsa at least wasn't chancing it. She transformed back, lowered herself and soon eturned with Zlata. They flanked the carriage pointlessly as Nina tried to find the platform of her mother's tree in the dawn light.

The village lay up the largest tree in the valley, but her mother lived in a smaller tree next to it. Since her mother was full time creche and babysitter, her tree had a platform high in the top for the many little dragons to land on and learn to deal with the high winds. The hippogryph found it a good place to land.

Militsa and Zlata also found it a good place to drop down as humans and close in on Nina.

"First you run away, and now you return reeking of gods and demons? What the hell did you get into?" Zlata demanded.

"I didn't run away ..." Nina said as she jumped off, and made a point of standing between them and the nearest door.

"You didn't ..." Zlata turned to Militsa. "She says she didn't."

"I bet Libushe's into it, she was already so vague about it."

"What would my mati be into?"

"Are you _stupid_?" Zlata said. "The reason we only let the adult men out is cause they can most easily get away with accidental displays of power. You are a girl and aren't controlled at all even when you're not bursting out of your skin! You're the last person we would let go wander the world!"

Nina looked down.

"What's all this shouting?" Nina's mother appeared at the top of the stairway, holding an embroidered cloth with bread and salt. She nearly dropped those when she saw Nina. Anything else Militsa tried to say was cut off when Nina's mother stomped up to her.

"You shut up!" her mother snapped. "Can't you see my girl is in terrible shape? You can save your complaints for the council."

The greeting set down, her mother took her by the shoulders and looked her over again. The concern in her face was almost too painful to bear. "Nina, you got so thin! What's with those dirty clothes?"

Gone were all plans to explain like a proper adult.

"It's a bad story," she said with a forced grin. She fell into her mother's arms, holding as tight as she could without hurting. "I missed you."

"Oh, dear, what happened?" Her mother rubbed her back, swaying slightly. "You stopped sending letters and now come home in rags and a flying carriage?

"Did you steal this thing?" Zlata asked. "Is anyone following you?"

Nina let go of her mother and said, "I didn't steal it, but, uh ... we aren't followed as far as we know, but there's people who would like to."

Zlata growled, and Militsa started pacing.

"We?" her mother asked.

Nina opened the door, where an unsteady Jeanne leaned out. She helped her step out.

"Mati, I request sanctuary for her and my other friend. Zlata is right to assume we might be followed because we have escaped from the king's prisons. Jeanne has been there for two years, she's sick and needs a place to recover."

"No way—" Militsa started, but Nina's mother did that thing where she set her hands on her hands and glared. She might not be a dragon, but she was an imposing woman if she cared to be.

"I will give sanctuary. I don't know what she did out there, but it seems better than anything you've done in your life," her mother chided before turning to Jeanne. "Hello, dear. My name is Libushe, and any friend of my child is welcome in my home. Unfortunately I do not have final authority, but our lady is not unreasonable."

"Thank you. I'm Jeanne d'Arc."

" _The_ Jeanne d'Arc? As in the lead of the Orleans Knights? Nina, you brought home freaky friends," Zlata asked. "What's the other one?'

"I am neither a saint nor a knight anymore," Jeanne said. "And I've never had any quarrel with dragons."

Militsa leaned into the carriage, only to draw back looking pale. "She brought _a demon_ here."

Nina's mother quirked an eyebrow at Militsa.

"The hell kind," Militsa said. "Or is this some kind of chimera, hmm, Nina?'

"He is a demon from hell," Nina said quickly. "But I wouldn't have brought him here if I wasn't sure he wouldn't harm us."

"Zlata, go alert Qhispe." Militsa slammed the door. "He doesn't look like he's moving, but we have to take precautions. I'll stay around to keep an eye out."

Zlata flew off and Militsa settled in a nearby tree. Nina carried Jeanne to a guest room, made sure she was settled, then returned to the carriage with the intent to get Azazel out too.

Her mother had apparently taken a look inside already and was rather more nervous than before. Maybe she'd expected a small, harmless demon.

"Nina ... I'm afraid a lot of the relatives are going to be worried if there's a demon in the house."

"That's ridiculous. He's not going to hurt anyone, especially not kids," Nina said.

"It's not just what he'll do directly, Nina," her mother said. "There's indirect harm such as manipulation, and the dangers dark magic poses to the safety barriers and so on."

The carriage door slammed shut, leaving them in the dark.

Nina noticed a few of said parents on the boardwalk already. Two of them had sleepy kids in their arms to carry them onto a dragon's back, ready to fly off. Word must have spread already.

Nina opened the door again and said, "I'll bring you something to eat later, okay?"

Azazel still lay on the couch and still didn't move. That'd have to change, but first ...

Inside the house it was stormier than ever. A flock of kids threw themselves at her. She laughed even as she toppled over, covered by familiar faces. Topping off the pile was Meep Meep, her furball pet. Spirits, she didn't think she could've missed this so much.

Nina's mother housed all the kids of single fathers and others who were either off to work or occupied in the village, and orphans. Her knack for handling dragons wasn't limited to Nina's father, after all, but now it had found a different kind of limit : people didn't want their children to be here. Another kids was carted out while Nina entered.

It was overreacting, especially when they saw her and got more nervous. Started whispering about Nina bringing trouble here. One person suggested the humans would invade soon. Okay, maybe it wasn't entirely overreacting, but maybe she also should change her clothes now. The dirty prison garb wouldn't give a good impression of her adventures.

Her mother had vanished, Nina found her again in Jeanne's room. There was a tray of bread with cheeses and meat, which Jeanne had already rejected in favor of explaining what she could eat.

"Are you alright here? If any kids come bother you, just shout or bang the walls."

"I'll be alright," Jeanne said. "Thank you."

"Mati, I'm going to change clothes, and ... then we can talk. Please let Jeanne rest some more."

In her room, she quickly pulled clothes from her drawers. She's brought her best things to Anatae, so this was all the old stuff. That was good enough. She burried her face in the cloth, smelling home before putting on the softest. Then she tore off the prison clothes and tore it to shreds.

In the corner of her room was a small pot for heat in the winter. She stuffed the shreds in as quick as she could and fumbled to set them alight.

As she watched the flames, she sat utterly still for the first time in days. All the words she'd put together were ashes. Foolish, in light of everything that led her to Anatae. The bits and pieces made more sense now : her mother shuffling her onto the road at the break of dawn and discouraging her from saying goodbye to the kids. She must've wanted Nina to have a chance to grow and prove herself, only for Nina to come home and prove everyone had been right to fear what mess she'd cause.

By the time her mother entered and sat on the bed, eyes pleading for an explanation, Nina still didn't know how to make it sounds right. Especially when she wasn't even sure whether to regret any of it. If she hadn't run into Azazel there would have been no rebellion and all those demons would be still alive. But Azazel and Jeanne and many others on the island would be dead, probably. Maybe Mugaro too. She couldn't go back and count the bodies to find out whether it would have been better if she had never arrived.

"Nina, please tell me what happened."

Tell her what happened, oh spirits. It'd been easier if all she had to say was that she got involved in a rebellion against injustice. Difficult relations between tribes were close to her family's heart.

"Well, I tried to be a good bounty hunter and catch a bad guy, only for me to learn there's a far greater criminal who had to go down. So I tried that and it didn't go well. It all started when this one bratty knight decided I was the first bad guy's ally ..."

She started small, how well everything had been going except the lack of bounties, and how she hadn't understood just how wrong everything in the capital was until her encounter with Azazel. She told her mother of the slums so she understood what Nina had fought for, and dwelled on all the people she met in the resistance. But the details petered out the darker the story became.

She left away the parts that any of them had been tortured and enslaved. She was in prison, all of them had been, that was enough. Her mother looked worried enough already, so Nina focused on the strength of her mysterious immunity and made it sound like she was a greater power than she had been, only inconvenienced by the imprisonment. Jeanne helping her postpone the transformation was a bit trickier, so she talked faster.

When it came to her most recent transformation, she simply said there happened to be another handsome man around and let her assume he was a guard or fellow prisoner, and swiftly went to repeating what the doctor had said and yeah, maybe Tzala and Militsa had a point on finding out whether they'd been followed.

"That is a lot to learn ... I suppose I don't know enough of this clan's history but if there are other demons who are good, you were right to help them. I'm not sure what to think of their methods though. They didn't have any human allies?"

Nina shook her head.

"And the demon you have up there is the leader of that rebellion?"

"That was Dante, but Azazel got it rolling."

"I see. Well, I don't like how that demon seemed to push you around, especially not what he tried to do to trigger you, regardless of whether he had a good goal. Does he do that often?" her mother asked.

Nina shook her head. "No, only when I had to become a dragon. He's pretty uncomfortable with that, actually. So you don't have to worry I'm constantly fending off unwanted advances."

"Alright. Did he ever apologize for that?"

"No, but there wasn't much time and it was really awkward and ... mati, people are dead because I failed. That's a bigger problem. I have to fix this."

"You can't blame yourself for that, dear, I'm sure you tried your best."

"But I didn't!" she blurted out. "There's also that I met someone else, whom ... I think I fell in love. We dated. That's another part that made it more difficult to transform the safer way. Eligos was pretty smart and he spent a lot of time asking me about my limits. I should have told him about how I really transformed, he'd have told me to quit growing an immunity, and he'd have made sure there was back up right away if option one didn't work. I didn't even think about how dating someone might cause a problem, I was too busy with the butterflies. Now I wish I hadn't indulged in it."

Nina's mother had lived such a fairytale romance, her own story felt all the worse in comparison. No way she was going to get up and confess that her own romance was with the villain and countless people were dead now. She couldn't even make sense of her own feelings; she didn't want her mother to be unhappy, didn't want the shame and the guilt, and most of all didn't want people to die at all. It wasn't supposed to be love that made that happen.

"I _need_ to control my dragon form because I still have three tribes to save. I'm sorry to break my promise of bringing home more money, but I can't be a bounty hunter in this time. I have to be something bigger. We're starting with finding my friend Mugaro in heaven and I plan to ask her to rejoin the demons. We will find a better way. I have to do this, mati. Do you understand?"

Her mother nodded despite her uncertainty. "I know you must. You take after your father in that way. He always was heading out into the world and protecting those he cared for, and he would not stop even under the fires of Bahamut ... Ninati, promise me you won't be reckless."

Nina embraced her mother, knowing the story of her father's death all too well. "I won't follow him for a long time. Really, I meant it with being strong against this enemy. I only got caught cause I was off guard, but I won't trust that person again, and it's not like I'll be facing Bahamut any time. I'll be okay, and I'll make it so for everyone else too."

· · · · · · ·

El's head swam in prayers and magic after days of sealed meditation. Ne only caught a glimpse of sky before Gabriel brought nur to another sterile place.

"Jegudiel, stay steady," Gabriel said. "We are almost there."

Jegudiel, that's what they called nur now. Gabriel had decided upon the name in the honor of some old angel who had been dedicated to restoring faith. Even Sofiel did it now. Ne did understand it had to be weird for them to use El, but it stung.

Gabriel brought El to was a hall contained countless rows with small stone tablets on them, each depicting warped human faces. They passed through on a single floating platform, Gabriel's presence looming behind El.

"These are all humans who sinned be selling their soul to demons and committed evil in their names," Gabriel said.

Some of the rows circled around a single pedestal, which every now and then contained a piece of horn, bone or armor. The circle they stopped at had an empty pillar at the centered platform. Already present here were a number of the higher gods.

Gabriel urged nur along to the empty pillar, which Gabriel placed her hand upon.

"This place belongs to a demon whom we have yet to annihilate," Gabriel said. "You know him : Azazel."

Gabriel tapped the center of the empty pillar. Out of it spun a stream of light threads weaving together into a cube. From this centerpoint, fractals grew into a quadric cross all overhead and beyond the shelves. Each point bore a name of a human, and a whirl of crimes in script El could barely read.

"These are all the pacts we traced back to Azazel," Gabriel said. "This is who he is : not so unlike the king you thankfully know to hate as you do."

El shook nur head. "It doesn't make sense! He never felt like a bad person. I can tell that, I'm never wrong. I'm not."

That prompted head shaking and discontented murmurs from the surrounding gods.

"I suspected you would say something naive like that. Listen, Jegudiel. Perhaps the Azazel you know behaves less by the crimes evil dictates now that hell is weak. You might not be outright wrong in your discernment. We have not yet had a time in the world where the power of hell was weak, so maybe there is less of the weight of darkness behind him.

Still you must understand, he chose to embrace the darkness and became one of its greatest perpetrators, despite having all the clarity of a god's light behind him. Such is pride. We gods can only be infallible if we guard our balance and let the light of Elyon govern us, and Azazel may merely lack the opportunite to engage in such debasement as before. As much as it pains me to praise Charioce, he did cause there to be less darkness."

"You mean he'll go back to being this evil if he succeeds at restoring hell to its former glory?"

"Yes, as long as he is a demon he will. Gods are children of the light and demons children of the darkness, they are related but not the exact same thing. Demons will always stray to the darkness. Now he just is more like humans, who commit less fully to either the light or the darkness because they are too young, and never live old enough to become a fully sapient being," Gabriel said. "But in the end, Azazel did embrace the darkness by choice, unlike those born in hell."

"But there are really kind demons, they aren't all like this," El said, unable to find the right thing to say to the scene itself. There were so many lives lost thanks to Azazel ...

"Now now, if your idea of kindness relies on how much one spends on helping individuals each day, surely I will not register high. I think of the future of a nation and spend my days with papers and planning," she said. "Not that I wish to shame you for your assumptions. You are a child, is is understandable you hold a simplistic view of good and evil. As it stands however, you have to accept that if Azazel rekindles the darkness, he will become worse again. And this will grow again."

El couldn't count all the names in the light, there were too many.

"It's like a disease?" El asked.

"Exactly," Gabriel said. "I am so glad you understand."

If the only way for demons to be good was to be cut off from the darkness ... what that king did wasn't the way to go, but maybe there was another way.

Gabriel set her hands on nur shoulders, pushing nur back into the kneeling position. El's knees hurt, but ne bit through it and put nur hands together again. Maybe, maybe if ne truly got a hang of this, ne would be able to heal Azazel from the darkness. Then once Charioce was defeated, they could all live in heaven. Azazel had said once he'd never go back to heaven, but maybe he thought there was no cure. There hadn't been a cure for Dromos either before El.

"I understand, lady Gabriel. I will become better in the light."

"Good. I will spread your name to the nations," she said. "Your _new_ name. Learn to meditate and you will surely begin to hear prayers in your name, as the god you truly are and you will find even greater strength."

· · · · · · ·

Usually her mother had about twenty kids, give or take, to look after during the day. About eight of those of those slept here, but it was only four tonight. That meant a little less hands to help prepare the vast amounts of food the day crowd would need, so Nina offered to help her mother out, only to be rebuked. There'd be less of a day crowd after all, and her mother insisted Nina rest.

That was pointless. She'd already rested and eaten enough on the way here. Jeanne was the one who needed the rest. Nina checked on her and found her sound asleep. She kept checking up throughout the day for lack of anything else to do but dodge the questions of children — she didn't feel much for trying to dress up the tragedy as a fun adventure she'd had.

She also went up to check on Azazel in the carriage. The hippogryph was happy to be let loose, but Azazel couldn't even be pried off the couch. He just laid there. Doing nothing but occasionally grow and reabsorb snakes from his arms. He should be up and making plans for the next rebellion and talk to her over what went wrong. She didn't know how to start, she didn't know any Azazel without words of rebellion on his tongue.

That left Nina to wait for the judgement of Qhispe, the leader of their settlement. At several thousands of years old she often slept, and she was incredibly tranquil about everything. Even if someone shook her from her sleep, Nina would bet she wouldn't be in a hurry unless there was outright violence. It wasn't bad to wait when Jeanne needed to recover and there probably wouldn't be a siege on heaven any time soon, but it wasn't satisfying. She could pick up her old rhythm, but it didn't feel like _her_ life anymore.

Just as she was stuffing a criminal amount of pillows in a corner, someone flicked the back of her head.

"Hey there squirt, I heard you had unusual guests," said the someone leaning around the wall.

"Ladis!" She got up and hugged him, only to find him unyielding. She quickly let go. "Uhm did you meet them already? Cause I promise you, they're not gonna endanger the village."

He didn't look any less worried at that, but he knelt so he was closer to her eye level.

"I was in the area, keeping an eye on rumors about you." He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "By the time I got to Anatae you nowhere to be found and the capital was chaos. What on earth have you been doing?"

"Mati can tell you more cause I'm being the host of my friends, but the short story is that I joined a rebellion against an evil king and it didn't work and I'm now a fugitive."

"Oh, Nina. That's ... that's no good."

"I know."

I came here after word was you'd escaped. I'm surprised I didn't meet you on the way," he said, finally cracking a smile. "Maybe you got better at being sneaky at least?"

"We went by hippogryph, they're really fast! Though, we did have to make a lot of stops because Jeanne's sick, so maybe you flew past us," she said. "Wanna sit with us this evening? We have a lot of story to cover and mom's real busy anyway."

"Nah, I'm going to handle a few things downtrees ... you made quite the stir, Nina."

He left so quickly, it was the first time she really felt she had wronged her home. There were people she'd expected rejection from, but none of those were close to her to begin with. He was her uncle, he'd always been nice and— someone else had also always been nice and— she shook her head.

Oh well. She'd look after the kids, they were happy for her to be here. If not the adults.

By evening, half the kids were gone from the tree. A few had been brought back because absolutely nothing demonic happened and the panic eased a little, especially after Qhispe had woken for a moment and declared that yeah, she could sense a powerful demon and no, he wasn't doing squad so she wasn't either. As dinner approached, the mysterious demon in the carriage was the blaring topic among the remaining kids, who now had bragging rights for being allowed to stay.

"If he's not dangerous, why isn't he here?" Roka asked Nina, hanging off her arm as she tried to balance a bucket of potatoes.

"Because your parents are paranoid," Nina said with a grin, and maybe it was time to pile it up. "Just so you know we'd all be very dead if he felt like it but we're not because he's not into that. He can't even do it accidentally, I'd know because he taught me a few things about how we use our power."

"I wanna see him!" Miski jumped.

"What did he teach you?"

"Punching through rock. I'm still work on metal though," she said. "And I think I need more lessons."

Nastya clung at her dress. "I wanna punch through mountains."

"I wanna punch through Bahamut," Miski cheered.

Nina's smile faltered, but she pushed it back in place.

The reason there even was a daycare was that many adults had been lost during the rage of Bahamut, including her father. Some were outright orphans. As much as Nina wanted to say that maybe some day they'd be strong enough to take down the world's greatest enemy, she couldn't do that anymore.

"I don't think that's possible. You'll become an awesome dragon when you're older, but you can't be strong the right way if you don't know your limits. When Bahamut arrived, the world survived because everyone worked together," Nina said. "All so the hero of fate had a chance to take down Bahamut and you know what? He was only an ordinary human."

"You're only saying that cause you want humans to be cool," Roka said.

"But if we all learning to punch through mountains, if we go together we can punch through Bahamut," Nastya said.

Nina's chest tightened and she looked around. Oh, there. Jeanne walked out of her room on her own, but slowly and bracing against the wall. Nina freed herself from the clutter of kids. "Should you be out of bed?"

"I'll admit to having a headache, and my eyes have been hurting lately," she said. "But it's better at night. I'd much rather not be alone."

"Got it!"

Jeanne got a spot in a half walled off, warm corner full of pillows, which Nina had arranged earlier. No kids allowed here, they'd have dinner on the other side.

"Did Azazel leave?" Jeanne asked.

"No, he's just up in the carriage," Nina said, and since her mother just walked in, she added loudly, "And I'm probably going to bring him a fire pot because demons _don't like the cold_ much and he got _out of prison_ not too long ago, and then he won't be so _lonely_."

Then she flitted to the kitchen so her mother, already feeling guilty on locking guests out, had time to quietly question Jeanne.

The kitchen was all vapor and scents and had some of the older kids helping. Ladislao was at the table peeling veggies and declined an offer of help. Nina killed time by sticking her nose (and sometimes finger) into pots and making sure Jeanne had some light stuff to eat without strong herbs, grease or fat.

When she returned her mother was still in Jeanne's corner. At Nina's approach she stood and said, "She says that demon is an old enemy of hers, but went out of his way to save her, and has taken care of her child for two years. Is this the Mugaro you mentioned?"

"I think we all saved each other at least once," Nina said. "Except Jeanne to Azazel, unless there's something I don't know yet."

"No, it was just me trying to kill him ten years ago," Jeanne said. "I'll admit I'm surprised he doesn't hold a grudge over that."

"He does grudges only against people who really, really hurt his people," she said, and she left away that she herself wasn't so sure what he'd do with the Anataens if he won, but she was sure he wouldn't hurt anyone here. "Or any kids. He got pretty pissed though when Cerberus wasn't nice to Mugaro."

"Alright, this is just too ridiculous." Her mother stood up and threw the door open. "Go get him. There's a few adults coming by, again, but I'll deal with them."

All too happy to oblige that.

She passed by Ladislao as he left the kitchen, looking after her mother stomping to the door. When he locked eyes with Nina he shook his head with a hopeless smile, and the _I know what you're doing_ look. She just grinned.

· · · · · · ·

He didn't hate solitude itself. No point to it. Charioce's dungeon wasn't the first time he'd been tied up underground, nor was the failed rebellion the first time he'd lost someone. Any weariness would pass, he'd be fine. But with neither of Nina and Jeanne around, there were no distractions to keep his thoughts from wandering back. After he'd gotten out of the mountain, he'd had his dedication to Lucifer. Right here and now there was only waiting. Nina and Jeanne expected him to go along to heaven, and then what?

Not moving wasn't easy, but it felt more natural. Perhaps Lucifer barely ever moved because he'd become so good at waiting out grief. He had cared far more for heaven's cause than Azazel had.

One of the doors burst open and Nina blared, "Good news, you can come in after all!" because leave it to her to instantly ruin a mood.

"No."

"We have a lovely fire and lots of food."

Oh for hell's sake. "I don't get cold."

"You mean you don't freeze or get ill in the way humans do," Nina said. "I don't do much of that either, but it's still cold. Come on in, mati's dealing with the annoying people and you have to try her roast."

"You think I can go have a damn party down there?" Almost everyone was slaughtered not even a month ago, how could she be like this?

Nina grabbed his arm, trying to pull him up. He jerked away, locking her with a glare. The little pout she made in response was just, ugh. Like nothing had happened.

"Get lost!"

"No, not when you're up here being miserable. There's no need for that."

No need? What the hell was her problem?

"Don't you get it, do you? they're dead! I brought in Merlin, I drove Mugaro away, and everything ... " He sank back, finding his anger already drained.

She didn't blare again. Instead she sat on the couch opposite of him and took two tries to start.

"You're doing a mourning period?"

He wasn't being official like that, but ... perhaps he did. Or maybe he should, just to honor the dead. Not that this damn carriage was the right place. Like hell he's mourning in heaven's domain.

Nina sighed and said, "I'll start again, okay? I'm sorry for nagging about your intentions with the city when that wasn't at hand. That was a bad time . But right now we're not having a party, we're just having dinner. That you're mourning doesn't have to mean you have to be as miserable as possible all the time, right? Come on, my mati is a really good cook and I bet Jeanne would love to hear more about Mugaro. I would too, and it'll be good to make people trust you more."

Nina didn't come close to Mugaro's relentless pleading puppy eyes, but she had her own kind of persuasive stubborness that demanded compliance. Things had to be alright so one had to do this or that, and she was so sure she knew what had to be done. Feeling so certain about anything, let alone one's own actions, was stupidity. But some sense could be found in it being easier to avoid any mobs coming to lynch him in the night. Not that he couldn't deal with them, he just wasn't sure he could deal without bloodshed.

"Fine."

So he let Nina drag him down the stairs, steer him through the door and almost right into an potentially-future-mob in the hallway.

The group went dead silent when they saw Azazel, except for Nina's mother, who smiled and said, "Welcome to my home," and held out a piece of bread with salt.

"It's our greeting," Nina said.

Oh no, he was not going to be a spectacle here, take part in some ceremony while those people watched. He just teleported right beyond the group and walked on from there.

Nina caught up just as he entered the living room, while behind them the arguing resumed. Nina had the bread and salt in her hands, but set it aside on a table. One of the many children snatched it right away.

Wordless, Nina guided him to a corner where Jeanne sat. He dropped himself next to her with crossed legs and from there on the plan was to sit, eat whatever they put in front of him and get through the damn night.

Every so now and then, children clustered up to stare at him, but Jeanne had a knack for stern soft warnings and they drooped off before it became a spectacle.

Nina returned with two colorful blankets under one arm that also held a tray and two small steaming pots under another. She sat the pots before them, dropped the blankets and started unloading the tray. A weird fluffy thing jumped around her, which she introduced as a pet of hers. He entertained the idea it was Favaro's hair zombified for about two seconds.

"Since Jeanne can only eat soup, mati made a whole lot of it. There's a kishka and roast for Azazel and I that you can have a bit of, and the nuts should be okay for you, but the rest you gotta be careful for. Llapingachos are potatoes and cheese with bits of meat. The bălmuș is all egs with a bit of mushroom and meat, maybe you can try that. The knish is filled bread with fried stuff, probably too heavy so the pan de yuri is probably better for you. We have tea too, which is a plant from the east dissolved in water, it's good for your health."

Not a party? Did they always eat like ... well, if Nina's appetite was any indication, that probably was common fare.

Jeanne got a blanket wrapped around her. Azazel sat it coming and yes, there she was. He'd have shrugged it off as early as last month, but he only stiffened. Which was ridiculous. Nina moving closer wasn't going to hurt him and these weren't chains.

"So the snakes don't scare the kids, okay?" Like that was the real reason.

Jeanne was much more at ease with those whole thing, she practically glowed as she worked down her soup, already looking better than any time in the carriage. Nina closed the circle and started chowing down.

If he ever did get to telling Lucifer in detail what had happened, this was the sort of thing he'd absolutely skip because it was off and exactly the sort of thing Lucifer would make worse when writing it down in a historical record.

He'd be skipping a lot. Lucifer wouldn't be interested in the kind of detail Jeanne wanted about Mugaro. How would he even explain that? _Oh yes, I did in fact unwittingly adopt a human angel hybrid who turned out to be crucial in the war._ If there was a way to tell Lucifer anything without bringing that up, he needed to figure it out. Maybe Rita was still alive and he could convince her to pretend she'd taken in ... if they even got that far. What Nina and Jeanne had described on Dromos's real form left no hope for Lucifer to stand against it. Not while it still mattered.

Jeanne didn't want any detail on him either. Ever since their first conversation, Jeanne hadn't brought up his past. Almost like a protocol, she kept the conversation on Mugaro alone. He still didn't know what to expect she'd do, if he indeed accompanied them to heaven. Would she hand him over, demand he be purified somehow? The gods would kill him on sight.

Jeanne's chosen topic today didn't help make more sense of her.

"I would like to know how your village came to be," Jeanne said to Nina. "The magic at work here isn't like anything I've encountered before in demons. In some ways it falls together like when multiple gods are in a blessed place."

"Really?" Nina said. "I don't know anything about energies, but I know how we got here. Way before even Bahamut, when Satan still ruled hell, there were a bunch of demons who didn't like how cramped it was down below. As adults we're really huge dragons, so the old ones only got to be dragons when sent to war on the surface. You can imagine it's not fun being only free to be all of yourself during fighting. At least three families got fed up with that moved to live on the surface. We only found each other later, actually, now we exchange members. Qhispe is from the other tribe, she'd moved in together with her brother when he married here."

He couldn't make sense of Nina's deal either. Or this history. It hadn't even occured to him there was a history of hell that he had to know. Heaven neither, even as he had lived there.

Then again, he'd spent two years with Mugaro yet hadn't realized there was divinity at work. Charioce's mocking _fool_ and Nina's fond _dense_ blended together into the one thing he was clear on : if there was one person he was sure he couldn't trust, it was himself. So just sitting here and not doing anything grand was for the best.

· · · · · · ·

Jeanne woke up some time after restless sleep, but no need to hurl and the world did not spin. She was only wasted and stiff. She lay quiet and listened, holding onto the sense of peace that promised to slip away any moment, because it always did. She had no trust left for peace.

The chatter of everyday life around the house went by, the way she had only known it before the years of battle, loneliness and chivalry. When she was a little girl in a large home in a world where she never even dreamed of seeing the gods.

Nina's mother entered and placed breakst on the bedside table. Jeanne sat up. She found small portions of light food, each prepared in warm cups. Libushe put a pillow behind her back, then took a chair next to the bed.

"Nina told me you've been through a lot," she said. "How are you feeling?"

She had lord Michael to talk to, there was no need to burden this woman with it. "I'm fine, thank you."

"That must be the strength that made you worthy of being a saint," Libushe said. "I would like to ask you for advice, but perhaps it is better to rest still?"

Jeanne tried to look alert. "Does it concern Nina? I would be glad to hear more about her."

"Oh, you're aware already? Of course you are ... but it may take some time. Are you sure you rested enough?"

"I have. Please let me hear Nina's story. I owe her my life, the least I can do is try to help her in return," Jeanne said. Some wicked part wanted to know more about anything that could explain what she'd seen between Nina and Charioce, but she pushed that back. "I've been able to help Nina a little with her transformation issues, but since I do not know its roots I've only been able to provide a crutch of sorts. Perhaps I can do better if I knew more."

"Well then. What can you tell me of Nina's fighting style, as a dragon? I've only heard about it from people trying to spare my feelings."

"She knows the enemy and she knows to spare the right people. I can't tell you more, I have only seen her fight in the dark and mist, when I myself was at my limits. I do have the impression she has experience though. Is that true?"

Libushe nodded. "Indeed. Her problems are beyond just controlling transformation. You see, Nina is chronologically 37 years old. A little over half that time was spent in dragon shape."

"But she looks so young."

"This clan is a variant of demons who altered their innate ability to shapeshift so their imago in smaller form fit the human template, rather than that of the demons. Typically this human shape ages along chronological, but in Nina's case her shape is set back exactly the way it was before she transformed. It's one of the consequences of her hybrid nature."

"What are the other consequences?"

"She can't think so well when she turns into a dragon and she can't remember when she turns back into a human. And of course, she cannot transform at will. When she was little, everything that got her even slightly excited caused her to transform. She'd stay a dragon for varying times. Over the years she learned to control her emotions. Joy was first, next sorrow and anger and at last even fear. We were unable to teach her how to deliberately trigger the transformation, however.

I think part of it might be that Nina doesn't want to be a dragon because she knows she'll lose her mind, unlike the others. You know kids ... they're not always as kind as they should be to those who are different. There even was one time where she was shoved off the boardwalk, and she would have died if she hadn't transformed in reflex. For a few years her increased emotional control meant she turned into a dragon less, up until she encountered her first crush. She hadn't managed that trigger yet. It was up on the woodwalks or in a room, her father was there too. We're not sure because half the place came down when she transformed ... neither the young man nor her father survived."

Libushe sniffed, but forced her face to remain even. Jeanne could see where Nina took after her mother.

"We found her roaring, altering between trying to get the blood off her hind leg and spurring what remained of him to stand. We couldn't calm her down. And when we uncovered my husband's body, she want on a rampage in the forest and ran off. Thirteen years she remained a dragon, during which she roamed the lands searching for food, and surviving. She returned some time after Bahamut's rage, maybe even because she was thinking clear, but we couldn't ask. When she turned back, she was my little girl again. She didn't even notice I'd gotten older, but she noticed her father was gone. With all the losses we suffered, I couldn't bear to tell the truth anymore. It was an easy way out. I told her her father had died a hero, saving people from the rain of fire.

She was restless in the village, and she wanted to help me out since I'm living on donations and working as babysitter now. I can't move back to human civilization with her so easily, and she knew that. But after Favaro, a rather good looking man, was able to mentor her with only one incident, it felt like things got better. I would have sent her along with someone else, but nobody in the village trusted Nina to not be a liability. Favaro assured me his divine friends had the ability to take Nina away in case of trouble, and even had the ability to grow and shrink creatures. So I let her go to Anatae in silence, hoping she would get the exposure that she needed there while in safe hands. I suppose it did not quite work out as intended. I am glad you were able to help her subdue an unwanted transformation, is there perhaps a way your blessing could help her other problems?"

Not that Jeanne knew, beyond dispersing energy, but there were some very obvious gaps to be addressed. One couldn't train an adult by treating them like a child.

"Miss Libushe, I can say something, but it is not what you hope for. Ninati did notice the timelapses, and she isn't a girl anymore even if she looks like it. She didn't speak because she didn't want you to be unhappy. Her imago, as you call it, fits only the years she lived in human body, not her actual lifetime. If she is 37, even if she is naive in certain things, she was still shaped by those years she lived through. You tell me so freely of her, but have you tried working with her to resolve the issue? I am under the impression she does not even know her father's true fate.

Libushe looked more than a little shocked. "How would I begin though? My little girl wanted to be a hero and then hoped to be a princess too, not a monster. How could I tell her such a thing like her killing her father? How do we assign fault if Nina killed anyone after she ran away? Where do we even start?" Libushe asked.

Jeanne lowered her eyes. "I cannot be the one to advice you on this. You see, I'm the one who ... I'm the one who ..."

Libushe looked at her, confused. Jeanne gathered her strength and said, "I am the one who unleashed Bahamut. I am not the wise saint you hold me for."

"What? That doesn't make sense ..."

"Consumed by my wrath at what appeared abandonment, I killed the gods that kept Bahamut at bay. I carry the guilt for millions of lives, something I can never hope to atone for even if I paid with my life. Whatever Nina might have done in self defense is surely more worthy of consideration."

Libushe shook her head still. "You do not strike me as someone who would kill millions just out of anger. I cannot believe that."

"I was weak. A demon tempted me with the promise I would be salvation for the people, no need for divine aid, only for the rage unleashed have me abandon my people in favor of killing the gods. If I had been stronger, I would not have been tainted so much that any reserve, honor or compassion was drowned away. I spent years deeming myself devoted and balanced only to be caught off guard. I cannot help Nina with her monster, when my own is so much worse."

Jeanne turned her face down and wanted to crawl into a hole. She feared condemnation, even when she knew she desered it.

To her utter surprise, Libushe pulled her into a hug instead. "Oh dear, I'm sorry, I should not have expected you to be a savior."

Jeanne couldn't keep her composure anymore. Leaning into the woman's shoulder, tears broke free. Letting herself be held felt selfish in many ways when she had rained so much death on the world. So she didn't let it go on for too long, and folded her sorrows back in the box, and offered to help Libushe look over the children.

Libushe didn't seem to buy she felt better, but after Jeanne mentioned she liked children and missed her own, she helped her out the room with the promise she might tell a story to the smallest. Nothing about knighs defeating dragons, of course.

It was her first clear look at the house. Part of the tree was visible on one end, and a hall went around a circular central room that lay in the crown of the tree. Most of the layout was guessed by looking out the windows at the other houses up the taller central tree. Wood made walls and everything, but thinner walls, and countless baskets were woven of reeds. Not a rock in sight, except for the hearth.

The central room held a swarm of children in soft cream and yellow clothes, each with colorful embroidery. Simple clothes, but far more complex than anything she'd been able to afford, let alone make in her years of poverty. This place was perhaps without riches, but it was with time and safety. A number of the children were brown skinned, but not in the way the people from the lands south of Anatae were. Their features were different, but nothing like that one there ... wait, that wasn't a child at all.

Emerging from the crowd was an old person barely half a meter tall. Jeanne might've pegged her as a man due to the thin beard, if not for a child mentioning her name as Qhispe; Jeanne had understood earlier she was the village matriarch.

Her head twice the size of a human, her hands tiny like a baby, she looked off even next to the children. Her skin was brown like a human, but her nose was red and had no bridge, the nostrils being practically between the eyes. Most notable were the bushy eyebrows that acted more like head hair, so long and thick they fell aside her eyes and could hold ornaments. Of all the demons Jeanne had seen, this one had to be the most peculiar.

"Ah, Qhispe, I'm so glad you found time today," Libushe said. "There's been so many unpleasant talk, surely you can dispell it?"

"Oh, sure. I had a look just now. He's a fallen angel, powerful enough to use his full name without risk of summoning and I'll bet you he can open portals. If he wanted to start trouble he could have, even with all that self sabotaging he's doing. Tell the next nuisance to not bother my sleep over this, they've been pests enough already." Her eyes fell on Jeanne then. "And you would be the former saint of the Orleans Knights, no?"

"I am indeed," Jeanne said, glad at least one person understood the _former_ part.

"I'll want you and the other adventurers to visit me for an official council soon. There's a few things my people deserve to know, but we'll leave you some moretime to recover. Now now, no protesting. I'll see you when you're able to walk without using walls."

Libushe helped Jeanne sit on a nearby chair, because Qhispe wasn't departing yet.

"So how are you doing with the new world order?" Qhispe asked. "Must be quite a shock to see humans on top for once. I'll admit I've never seen that in all my ages."

"Are you truly a demon?" she asked, because she had never seen something like an old lady demon leading a village and it was rude and yet she had to know — most female demons she'd encountered in her old days had been succubuses.

"Quite, I'm an old demon allied to the gods. You ought to have seen their faces when they realized that. Dragons of divinity exist, but alas, no, by blood we descend of the demon tribe." She tapped her round ear, which looked human apart from the long earlobe. "I'm missing the pointy ears and I already got a few gods in denial though. You wanna deny it?" she said with a grin.

Jeanne shook her head, though she had a lot of questions that were far more rude. And painful. Such, how did she resist her dark nature?

"Good, all the better for our trip," she said.

"You'll bring us to heaven?"

Qhispe nodded. "Been meaning to visit my old buddies some time anyway. I wonder how much changed since Zeus was in charge, actually. I'm told it's been Gabriel and a few others since then, but I'm sure you can tell me about that when I'm less sleepy. Give you some time to adjust some of your old views too, and your curiosity."

"My apologies for my rudeness," Jeanne said.

"I'll live," Qhispe chuckled. "I imagine you've got a harder time adjusting."

Beyond them in one of the halls around the central room, a loud crash preceded a kid running by, dragging Azazel by the legs. He had his claws in the floor to no avail.

Libushe stomped over to them. "You behave right now and put him down!"

"The old lady said it's safe!" the kid called, now no longer visible. "We're gonna play!"

"That's not the point!"

"Yes, I'm readjusting some old conceptions," Jeanne said. "Rather sharply."

· · · · · · ·

"I didn't think you'd go outside!" A laundry carrying Nina found him halfway down the tree, where he'd caught on a branch. "Or is just more of you not bothering to move?"

"Those brats got the idea to play demon slaying," he grumbled as he climbed onto the stairs. He'd been just a little off balance because one of his disobedient serpents had grown out at a bad moment.

"Oh," Nina said, and ran up the stairs where the kids met her halfway. The scolding echoed down. "Hey! That's not a fun game for him. Where we just came from someone really did that to demons. It was really bad, so if you want to play with him it has to be something nice."

Azazel willed the snake that had disbalanced him back into oblivion. There were too much right now, and it was because those brats got him to think about that damn king.

Nina jumped back down put the laundry on a small elevator and pulled a robe, which rang a bell up in the tree. Up above, her mother peered over the edge.

"You don't have to do that, Nina!"

"It's okay mati, I'm not tired or anything. But if you don't mind, I'm going to show Azazel around the place, okay?"

"Go ahead, dear!"

"Tch, do you want to make the problem bigger?" he grumbled.

"What problem? Don't worry about that, it isn't as bad here as in Anatae." Nina started ticking things off on her hand. "They'll stare a bit but the kids aren't really afraid cause tension with hell is boring adult talk, there won't be mobs cause everyone respects our good leader, and maybe you'll be a little less dark and ominous if you're seeing strolling. I promise we'll get out at the first sign of trouble, okay?"

"We're leaving soon anyway."

"I hate to dissapoint you but we're not moving until Jeanne _isn't_ even a little on the brink of death. Come on, it'll make it easier for us too," she said while pulling him along. "The old lady is sleepy today anyway and we won't have the big meeting till tomorrow."

"Meeting?"

"Oh, just a formality. If a tribe member like me reveals the secret, the council comes together and argues a bit. No biggie. All the people in the area think we're just superstrong elves or something, and they're just gonna asked a few question and that's it. We're not gonna be throw into jail or anything. Anyway, I'll run, I could use the movement after being cooped up so long. I'd rather have that you fly. The way you used to leave wrecked roofs in your wake can't be good for our trees."

When Azazel grew his wings, she gathered the feathers he lost.

"We don't waste anything here," she said. "They're magic, right?"

"Not by much. Why?"

"Good enough for a trade," she said. "Now come along."

Nina's home was on a smaller tree next to the main village, built on a tree so thick it could cover a while human village at the roots. How something that big could be alive without absurd amounts of magic elluded him. It wasn't just one tree, the entire forest was made of giants.

Hell was all darkness and fumes and high walls, heaven was all light and radiance and high walls too. This territory had the height and grandeur to fit, but not built. It was entirely by the presence of ancient trees that dwarved even the grown dragons.

Most of the ground was grass, except for a small terrace before the central tree; Nina said that during holidays people danced here. She herself was here more often to teach the little kids to dance, and teach herself. When other dragons got flight lessons, that's where she spent her time. He half expected her to demonstrate, but she claimed she'd lost interest in dancing.

A river ran through the forest where a group did the laundry like they had neither servants or magic to do it for them. No slaves either, of course.

At the edge of the valley was a small stone outpost with inn and a tiny market, where the women sold their craft to passing human travellers. Azazel stayed behind as Nina went to greet some people.

They just sold trinkets to get money. In hell, the could have been miners, warriors, a power to be reckoned with. Even here on earth they could just settle in the mountains where the mecha would be at disadvantage and reign supreme. Why choose to live in a forest and be poor?

If there was a greater power dynamic at work here, he couldn't find it. Heaven, hell and Anatae were all governed by the powerful, this place supposedly was governed by the elderly on the premise they were wisest. He wasn't unaware that societies existed without a strict hierarchy, but had never imagined such powerful beings could function in it.

When Nina rejoined them, she had traded the feathers for a few of those trinkets.

"They're gifts for everyone. Those feathers were useful, Yari says I'm practically overpaying." She had clip with dark red gem for Jeanne, a blue and gold hairclip for Mugaro, a necklace with a pink gem for her mother, and ... oh no ...

"I'm not wearing that," he said.

"It's not for your hair, silly." She missed the point, and clipped the silver-purple thing on his belt. "See, it fit your colors scheme and now you're not so drab anymore. You used to be a bit more ornate, what happened to that?"

"My standard clothing is formed by my own magic," he said. "It changed when Cocytus fell, it's nothing unusual when one is low on magic."

Sort of true. He was down to just his shirt, pants and boots, the waist belt being the last purple bit left. It getting less ornate had nothing to do with being low on magic, he didn't control it. Right now, most of the time he couldn't even keep his serpents from emerging.

Nina was already on her way to the next thing she wanted to show him all the way on the other end of the valley. The river emerged from some kind of ancient temple. On a ridge below it, across the second waterfall, was an unusually large wooden house. According to Nina the leader of the village lived there, Qhispe. Nina wanted to go there early to see whether she wanted to tell the story of the prior fight against Bahamut, but he declined because she'd been around already to question him. He had no mood to listen to her talk about some old battle.

"Oh, okay, no war stories. I've got plenty of others, just come along. Wool's next."

Nina poured at stories like her life depended on it, but not in the way like she was selling anything. He couldn't pin what she was doing, just that she didn't want to stop talking, and that she knew way more people than he could keep track of. He didn't know anyone in the slums other than Rita, even Mugaro had more connections there.

He let her talk about them, but didn't go near anyone for introductions.

Asking where they got their food prompted a long rant on trade, import and bargain that Nina herself didn't understand well, and a visit to the deer breedery. Deers tended to flee areas with dragons, so they had barred areas to keep them around and have a kind of casttle that flourished below the canopy. Everyone also spent their usual hours in small form to avoid needing more food than the forest could give, even though said forest was full of more edible stuff than he would've imagined.

Nina asking the members of the rebellion for what changes they wanted to see in hell started to take on a different tone. He'd expected just complaints about the hierarchy and the treasure or best locations. It could be more than that. Were those papers still around?

As they closed back to Nina's house, they came across an oversized meadow where dragon kids played high above the ground. They kept changing into human shape in mid air, falling, and changing back to dragon before they got too low, just to throw around a ball. Each wore a sash that didn't vanish along with their clothes in dragon shape, making for at least four teams.

"This is the hard game, where you're only allowed to touch the ball with hands," Nina said. "But not hard core enough for them to be allowed to play close to the ground."

On said ground were a group of adults, keeping watch. Half of them now had their eyes on Azazel with the same look demons got in Anatae from humans.

He clenched his fists, almost hard enough to drive his claws into his flesh.

"Hey, Nina the Failboat, go get us a few new balls, okay?" a kid yelled in mid fall.

"Not if you ask like that!" she yelled back. "Really, what do they think? Just cause I offered to do it a few times doesn't mean I'm always gonna do it."

"Why do you even hang around here if you can't play? Or did you?"

"Maybe I played the ground version when I was really little, but now I couldn't even if I transformed right now. You've seen my wings."

On a stupid impulse he was sure to regret later, he grew his own wings out. "Want to prove them wrong?"

Nina looked confused for a moment, before a grin broke. "I'd love to."

She grabbed one of the colorful sashes on the ground, then Azazel hooked his arms around her waist. "I fly, you catch."

He took off. She didn't get flustered, let alone turn into a dragon. So much for that trigger; not that he had anymore plans for that.

Playing with dragons was nothing like when he'd been a child playing with other angels. In heaven with feathery winged folk, one always played careful. Dragons were rough and cared little for finesse or even injury. A kid's wing tore at one point, only for a quick transformation to fix it. The adults below were only around to avoid collisions.

The game itself was barely sensical. They were teams, but the members could switch in the middle as they saw fit by just changing the sash they wore; Nina couldn't do this so easily when held.

It wasn't a real challenge to him, none of these kids had a strategy or even grace in the air. He'd be complaining about boredom more loudly if the game wasn't rigged the moment he and Nina entered.

The kids weren't allowed to storm ram each other, and none did so with Nina. Just, Azazel was much bigger and it was easy to collide with him without touching Nina.

When one of them hit him between the wings so hard he nearly dropped Nina, who lost the ball she'd finally caught, he pushed back. The kid was sent hurled away.

"Wait, that's against the rules!" the kid called in a moment of transforming back and forth.

Nina poked him with her elbow. "We can do this without cheating!"

"They're cheating too," he said.

"Come on, it's not the same," Nina said.

"Fine," and he dove for the ball when it sailed between a branch clutter too narrow for dragons. Nina missed by a hair, so Azazel braced against the tree, leaving shattered bark.

"Don't ruin our trees!" one of the adults below yelled, because of course.

Someone turned into a dragon, stretched a wing in their path and just batted them away. Coming from a dragon, that sent then sailing past several giant trees. Azazel steadied himself enough to avoid the trees, but didn't catch the air at this speed. Four trees further a dodge steered him too close to the ground, where they fell into the shrubds between two massive roots.

And so he was on his back again, now with his wings stick in the green. The fell wasn't that painful all things considered, but it was a fall and it was embarassing. That last one used to hurt more, now it was almost accustomed.

Note to self : stop being impulsive. This was a bad idea. Everything he did was a bad idea.

Nina flopped off as he let go and sat next to him, laughing for some reason.

"What's funny? We failed." And it was painfully obvious they were looking for an excuse to kick them out of the game.

"But I got to be part of it today. I missed playing with the other kids, I couldn't keep up after they started flying."

"They knocked you _out of it_."

Nina flapped her hand at nothing. "So what? They know you're sturdier anyway, they don't do that normally." Then more serious, she continued, "I thought you didn't want to do anything nice because you're mourning."

"I'm not practising anything, I just wanted them to shut up."

"Good enough," she said. "What do you want to do next?"

He pulled a twig out of her hair and flicked it away. "You could get my wings out of this crap. The way I'll do it get more complaints about vegetable damage."

Nina had his wings untangled from the shrubs without a beat, short enough for Azazel to kill his urge to _get out_.

Azazel almost got up, but halfway through the movement realized he had nowhere to be. Mugaro was in heaven, Lucifer in Helheim, and they weren't leaving. Azazel wasn't leaving either, not soon.

And he was out of Anatae. He could lay here and nobody would come in for a torture session, and he wouldn't have to kill any demon here. Why that struck him only now, so much later than it had became reality?

"Hey, are you alright?

Nina leaned over him, sunlight through the canopy behind her. How could she be like this, with that damn worried smile like the worst that had gone down was a little crash landing.

She had to be lying. Jeanne was a wreck, he'd seen his own people broken for years. That didn't just go awa. Even if Nina had only been enslaved for a few weeks she shouldn't be like this, glowing as if she'd just dropped from heaven. Mugaro could smile despite pain, but Nina acted like she threw it away the moment she stopped talking about it. That couldn't be right.

"Are you?" he asked.

"It's just a few scrapes, nothing new for me." As she stood, she pulled him along. "Hey, once we defeated the king we can come here again and then we'll play to win, okay?"

Oh great. Why did she just have to start on that again? Like he needed the reminder. He unfolded his wings and left.

"Azazel?" He heard her, but refused to look back. Nina could argue as she wanted, he really wasn't going to start another fiasco and get the wrong people killed.

· · · · · · ·

Jeanne got her first true sleep in years, but the unease never truly went away. It likely would not until she was sure El was safe. No matter how often she told herself the gods would ensure El's safety, it was never entirely sure. Charioce would want to ensure El's death more than ever.

Nina arrived late in the evening, her arms full of sweet flowers. "Good dusk to you! How are you feeling?"

"Quite well, all considered," Jeanne said as she sat up.

Nina put the flowers in a vase next to the bed, left and returned a little later those blankets. "Need extra? We have plenty and it's still warm enough for most kids to go with just one. Winter's usually later below these trees."

"Thank you. You know, with you having arrived to Anatae as a bounty hunter and turned to rebellion, I didn't imagine you having such a homely job," Jeanne said. "What made you consider to become a bounty hunter? You seem well off here and with so many to care for."

"We're still pretty poor even by local standards, and I thought I could fix that. Mom can't get a dragon job and I can't either, so when Favaro dropped by I just knew I had to badger him into being my mentor. If I could bring in a huge bounty, then mati wouldn't need to think of táta just when doing the household."

Nina's father was a hole in the household all too apparent. Perhaps Nina had run from the memories as much as she did it for her mother. It didn't sit well with Jeanne to keep the truth back from Nina.

"Will you keep me company for a little while?" Jeanne asked.

"Sure!" Eager, Nina sat crosslegged on the foot end of the bed. "I had some questions anyway. What's heaven like? Any rules I should know about?"

"I honestly have no idea, I have never been there myself," Jeanne said.

"Oh, but ... isn't Mugaro's father that archangel, Michael? How can he so yet never even invite you to his home?"

"The relations between heaven and earth are distant. We mere mortals cannot hope to aspire as equals to the gods."

"Hmm, you never bring up Michael when talking with about her with Azazel around. Is that a sensitive thing or do you not know him that well?"

"I imagine Azazel will not have fond memories of him, and I would prefer to avoid conflict," Jeanne said. "And I might not know lord Michael well in the way that makes the kind of questions you'd ask easily answerable. I know him in spirit, however."

"When we go to heaven, won't he be around anyway? Then I'll just ask him and you can learn to know him better too."

Jeanne's face fell, but she spoke anyway. "Lord Michael is not with us anymore."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't imagine what it's like to lose a lover, but I know it's been really difficult for my mother. Is there anything I can do?"

"Oh, he was not my lover. Lord Michael was my patron deity, the god who had blessed me to channel his power. Our love was platonic, a divine bond that exists on a different level than earthly ties. El was not born through the earthly means, but a sacred host. See, I was once intended to host the god key so lord Zeus could remanifest back into the physical world. Surely lord Michael used this capacity to create El. I did not need to carry for months."

"Ooooh, so when you said El appeared like a light you meant that literary?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. I suppose I could have been clearer. El appeared as a three year old child too, capable of speech. In more way than one it's been easier for me than many others, and I am grateful for El's company. Before it I dragged myself through a lonely, purposeless life. Lord Michael always watched over me and I prayed for a direction, but I had not imagined he would be able to still give even after death. It is more than I dared ask for."

"Michael must've been a great person if someone like you can feel he's being too nice to you."

The bar was much lower than Nina imagined and this really should be the end of the conversation, but ... by the gods, Nina had spared Charioce. Nina herself might not have moved against her, but if she was close to the one who did, this might mean Nina could not be trusted entirely. Jeanne had to know and this topic made it easy to start.

"Nina, do you have anyone you are in love with?"

That got a very uncomfortable little laugh. "I guess I do."

"Who is it?"

"Uh ... it's not easy to explain. You're a saint and all, and, uh ... " Nina took a deep breath. "See, I have a bit of a bad taste in men."

Oh Michael. Jeanne felt she ought to address this now, but where to even begin?

Gently was probably best. "How bad?"

"Really bad."

"Do you you want to tell me about it?"

"Uh ... you have no idea _how_ bad. It might not be good for your sleep, maybe we should do this later."

"We're not talking about Azazel, are we?"

Nina pulled up her legs and seemed to lock off, staring at the wall only. "No. I did have a bit of a crush on him, just a little bit, but the more I learned about him and the more I interacted with this other guy who was really much nicer, the less that mattered. He was my dream : someone I could be close to without fearing the dragon, who pulled me along into forgetting the worst. Then that guy turned out to be even more of a bad person. And yet, it still feels as if I was born to dance with him, but what I know is that he's done so many horrible things that I should hate him. And ... oh, how do I put this? Uhm ... I just want him to better."

"Did he do any of those horrible things to you?"

"... yes."

That was it, then. "I know it's Charioce."

Nina's stiffened and turned her face down. "How?"

"His behavior towards you was peculiar," Jeanne said, and right away decided not to go into detail. Nina was practically trembling.

Folding her hands, she chose her next words with care, reminding herself that with her own sins she had no business falling out at Nina over something like this.

"At another time, I would advise you to not let the failings of your beloved by a one strike you're out situation. Lord Michael has forgiven me for for my sins, embraced my contrary faces, but Nina, this is not the same as you and Charioce. He continues relentlessly. He has waged war agains the gods without any provocation, and even the demons did not deserve such a fate as he bestowed them. He may spare you for a time, but only within the confines of convenience," Jeanne said. "Lord Michael offered me forgiveness, but only after I had returned to the light. After I became better."

"It's not like I fell in love with him while I knew who he was," Nina mumbled. "I'd been fired so I tried to earn money with an arm wrestling challenge, he just showed up one day ... and kept coming back. Only when I went looking for human allies did I learn who Chris really was. I still don't know whether they knew all along who I was, or it was some freaky coincidence. He won't tell me anything. I guess I should have told you."

"I saw you and him. It was his touch that turned you human shaped again," she said, and left out everything after that because it was just too unsavory. "But I'm glad you're telling me now."

"Are you angry with me?"

"No," she said. "Feelings are errant and hard to control. Lord Michael knows I myself have been betrayed by mine."

"Treachery ... yes, that's a good word for it. I fell for his face of the perfect prince. All that time, there wasn't a single moment I suspected he was anything but a kind man. He was so convincing, I don't think he was acting. There was no reason to ... which one is his real face?"

"They are both faces of his, and unlike with me, his comes out even without demonic pact," Jeanne said. "Lord Michael was a god who had the power to purify me. You are just a woman on earth, the way he is a man. It is no magic that brings out his darker face nor are you in a position to purify his evil away. You must approach this as a mortal woman who has suffered at her lover's hands."

"But I'm not. I'm a dragon too, and it was my responsibility to take him down."

"You're not obligated to be the knight or saint of anyone, Nina. From what I understand, you only came to be a bounty hunter. The scope of an kingdom of such magnitude is not yours."

"No, you don't understand! Azazel and Dante and everyone else went through so much trouble to give me a chance to kill him, and I wouldn't because I love him." Nina's face crunched up as if she cried, but no tears came. She covered her eyes with her arms. "Every day people suffer and die. They could have been free already and _they're not_ because I cannot make myself hate him enough that I remember he must die when I become a dragon."

"As a dragon, you can only act on how you feel, right? Are you really yourself as a dragon, or is that only half a face?"

"I do everything in halves, that's true."

Jeanne regretted her words at once. Surely it would not do Nina any good to hear that when her half blood nature already brought her scorn at home.

Nina just burried her face further into her knees, and Jeanne waited for her to choose her words.

"He did so much worse to you. I should be helping you, not the other way around. If I'd done it, there wouldn't have been a war and we'd all be free already."

"To be honest, there would be a power vacuum, and no guarantee the next king would even want to abolish slavery and retun peace with the gods," Jeanne said. "When I saw that the world is larger than you, I mean you alone must not bear it because it is impossible. So there was an unforeseen reality. That was not a choice you made, Nina."

"Still, I want to solve it, but I don't know how," Nina said. "If there's a way to take all of me into my dragon self, I have to find it. I cannot let there be a third time where my stupid heart gets people killed. I should have worked on this sooner, because I learned I can build an immunity just from exposure. I could have found a way already."

Jeanne sighed. Words had run out, and nothing she said seemed to help Nina. Perhaps she wasn't qualified to even try advising on sin and attribution.

"Don't tell my mother, okay? She would worry sick. Not Azazel either, a lot of our friends died because of this," Nina asked.

"I understand, I won't," she said. "But please know, if you want to talk about it I will be here. I can't solve your block or your feelings, but maybe it will just help to tell me. I often find support in letting lord Michael know of my troubles, maybe it will help you too."

"Thank you," Nina said. "And you should tell me too. I bet there's a lot my village gets wrong about knights and kings and pyres."

Jeanne nodded and absolved Nina quietly, while wondering whether her inability to help Nina move on was because somewhere in a deep, dark corner, she held spite for the girl. Hopefully it was only because she wasn't wise enough.

· · · · · · ·

The wisest had gathered within the central house above the waterfall, along with a few less wise people, but that wasn't smart to say out loud. Qhispe sat central to the main room, surrounded by a flock of other oldies all too inhuman to go out into the human world. Opposite of them near the entrance was a bench for the visitors, and on either side a curved row with a few prominent village members. The circle of judgment.

On the bench sat Nina's guests. Azazel slumped forward with his elbows on his knees, eyes turned down. Jeanne sat on the other hand sat very proper and alert, looking like she was ready to burst into apologies or defenses whatever was needed. Nina herself had a spot between them, but stood as soon as Qhispe said her name.

"Nina, you not only revealed your nature while you were gone without approval, but actively involved yourself in a war against humanity. What do you say for yourself?"

"I didn't know I didn't have permission, okay?" Nina crossed her arms. "And I don't think that's what Mati would have told, and you're leaving things out. It's not against humanity, but against an evil king who happens to be human!"

"We're saying exactly what matters : your actions could spark retaliation. Furthermore, you have brought one of the most renowned knights to our home, and a demon who serves under the current supreme lord of hell," Qhispe said. "You are playing with lives, child."

"I didn't reveal it to any humans," Nina said. "Though I guess a few of them figured out out."

Not that she had expected this to go any other way.

"Let's assume for a moment you haven't been followed and our secret is safe ... up until the point you kill this king. The entire world will know that their savior from hell's evil, their beloved king, was killed by a dragon. An ally to demons no less. People already suspect something is off around this area, but they leave us alone and do nothing but gossip because we do not give them reason to be aggressive. That will change if you succeed, and we can expect to be dealing with any army they can still send. Skybeasts, airships, fire and explosions, those can all kill us. A well planned siege would starve us. Did you consider this when you agreed to partake in that rebellion?"

"That won't happen! If Charioce falls, Jeanne and Mugaro will lead the people to a better place. Right, Jeanne?"

But Jeanne just averted her face.

"You were the greatest knight of the human tribes, right? Their hero. Who better than to explain my people what's going on? If you take a lead against Charioce, I bet you'd make the world a better place!"

"No, if I act alone, no good comes from it," Jeanne said.

"Of course it will. You can just inspire the people not to attack us!"

Jeanne might as well be flayed when she spoke, "At my hands, the gods who restrained Bahamut during the hours of crisis have died. My sin has caused thousands of deaths. I have no business making such judgment nor promises, Nina. You will find few who carry greater guilt than I do."

Wait, what?

Qhispe thought the same and wanted to know more, but Nina lost all track of the conversation as her mind reeled. Perhaps not as bad as learning who Chriss truly was, but still ... Jeanne? It shouldn't surprise her at all, she'd even hinted at sins, but this? It didn't fit with Jeanne's kindness.

If she really thought about it, she had never seen Chris display any actual contempt for the suffering all around. He'd always explained it away, but Jeanne hated him. Was that only because she was a victim of it, and wouldn't mind otherwise? Who else around her was different than she thought?

Grasping at the present, she caught up to the conversation. Qhispe questioned Jeanne on her actions afterward, while Azazel shifted his legs so the other one was pulled up. Pretty sure she'd heard one of those dismissive little sounds in there. What was he suddenly so irritated at?

"And your thoughts on your kingdom?" Qhispe asked Jeanne.

"I believe Charioce XVII's reign must end. I have no fondness of the former king, but this is worse. Even my own people are enslaved when it suits him. I cannot do anything, but if any of this powerful clan could, perhaps the world stands a chance. I just am not qualified to partake in his downfall. Perhaps you can do so better, closer to the gods as you still appear to be."

That got the entire room arguing. Zlata stood up and said, "No way. We're not doing this! We've always kept out of the rest of the world and should keep it like this!"

"If I may say something ..." Ladislao stood up, bowed and said, "I've been in the cities near the capital and have succeeded at laying low. Rumors of Nina's activities spread. I visited Anatae but failed to find her. However, during the rebellion I saw Charioce aided by other shape shifting dragons. He already knows our kind exists. The ones I saw did not have a collar and were in such a position they could fly away : see, their rebellion had a holy child capable of shutting down their primary weapon of the humans."

"I see. This king is not hostile to _all_ demons, just those from Satan's old order," Qhispe said.

"So what?" Nina said. "Even if he doesn't go all out, what he does right now still is evil. Anyone who's been to the big cities can tell you : the demons are kept as slaves or starve in the slums or are forced to kill each other in the arenas. Jeanne as a human suffered too and Mugaro isn't the only innocent child dying! How can you just dismiss this all when we have the power to do something? I'm immune, that's probably something we all share. Just a few of us could free everyone in the capital, and from there on we can—"

"Enough," Qhispe said, not harshly, but firm enough to allow no arguing. "I have to prioritize the fate of our clans. We have come a long way to distance our people from the reign of hell, toiled greatly to settle ourselves on the earth and left the ways of violence behind us. We will not pick a fight with that king and his strange weapons, especially not for the legions of hell. We owe them _nothing_. Our relations with humans may be strained, but we need not have war with them."

"Charioce wages war on the gods too! Were you not allies once?" Nina asked, but she already knew she was losing this.

"We are neutral, and our ties to the gods is only that of allies. Perhaps if any of them approached me and asked for aid, backed by a good strategy, maybe. But even then I would take caution. As of yet, there is no provocation that justifies us going to war. Or would any of those who worked among humans say otherwise? What would happen, you think, if our kind became known, as may just happen due to Nina's actions?"

To Nina's sinking hope, Ladislao continued.

"The king already employed two of our more outwardly demonic kin," Ladislao said. "And he employs demons among the Orleans Knights too. We are not hell he knows, and he has much to lose after the recent war. We can expect some very aggressive job offers if he were to show up on our door, but not outright violence. We are even safer than before, unlike when hell reigned."

Azazel had listened to all of it without nary a movement, now he tensed. Nina wanted to say something defensive, but still had no good answer for his plans for Anatae.

"If I am not mistaken, you are a fallen angel," Qhispe said to Azazel. "Where we from within chose to distance ourselves from hell's ways, you from the outside submerged yourself. I take it you have the carving stick to go along with it?"

"Yes."

"And if your lord were to take over the human kingdom, could you garantee our safety?" Qhispe asked Azazel. "Heaven might just be too weak to make a difference for us otherwise."

Azazel looked up for the first time. "I cannot."

"What do you mean?" Nina asked.

"I cannot even guarantee my own people their safety. Not by my hand, let alone lord Lucifer's."

Nina recalled he'd said before Lucifer wasn't acting. Maybe that meant more.

Ladislao put a hand on Nina's shoulder. "There's no point invoking fallen gods. They are worst of all, they chose evil."

"Tch." Right here, she knew that meant something like _you moron_.

"You disagree? Then tell me, what kind of person are you?" Ladislao asked. "What world would you leave behind?"

"That's not what I disagree with. I've slaughtered hundreds for fun, I earned my reputation. It's that you say we our fall was a choice."

"You're not making this easier," Jeanne whispered.

"What is there to make easy?" The scathing tone took over and he stood up with his wings unfolding. "They know what the demon courts have done to the surface world."

"From the devil's mouth, there you have it," Ladislao said.

Zlata, Militsa and few of their friends stood up, almost encircling Azazel as he tried to leave.

Azazel didn't even blink, he just jumped up at the roof, striking a hand around the smoke hole and out he was. A few black feathers drifted down only to be blown aside as a ripple of force came from Qhispe.

"Sit down!" We're _also not_ going to pick a fight with any demons." Qhispe gestured at Jeanne. "I'll be giving them a ride to Vanaheimr, then this business will over. Peacefully."

"But—" Tzala started, only to be cut off when Qhispe shot her a glare.

"Girl, these are my final words. This meeting is dismissed, but I'll gladly recall it if anyone does anything like provoke Lucifer."

They accepted that. Nina cast a hopeless look at Ladislao, who just ruffled her hair and said, "You're too young to know just how much it is important we protect ourselves. Keep your friends for all I care, but no rebellions. You're in over your head."

"I am, but that doesn't mean it's not needed. If nobody else does—"

He leaned over. "Nina, do you want to die out there and leave your mother all alone?"

She shook her head, and he left it at that.

As the room emptied, Nina sat next to Jeanne. "Why did you say so little? Can't you as hero of the human people do something?"

"There is not enough will to resist among the humans," Jeanne said. "And what sway I might have is less than Charioce suspects."

"Are you afraid those crimes you mentioned are going to be public?"

"I must say, a little, but moreso what I might do. People's fear are not entirely unfounded."

"What if they'd somehow come to see who Chris really is?" she whispered. "Jeanne? We have to stop him."

"I don't think I can help you," Jeanne muttered.

She had to, but if nobody worked along how did she start? How to even get people on her side, when she didn't even know anyone well enough? Now Jeanne had also turned out to be a mass murderer ... how the hell did she manage to always get close to mass murderers? How many other people were secretly mass murderers?

· · · · · · ·

Jeanne returned to Libushe's home by carriage. When she stepped out, Azazel was already waiting to get in. She stayed in the door, blocking it. "You could just sleep down there and stop Nina from fretting."

"I don't sleep," he said, prickly but not moving. The way he glared at her was new.

"If you have something to say, then s—"

"How dare you play the suffering saint."

"What? I assure, you am not playing at anything."

"Quit the act, I don't need your bullshit martyrdom to overshadow out my sins before a crowd. A worse murderer than me? What are you even going on about?"

"Wouldn't you know? You were there during the crisis at Eibos," she said. "When I murdered the gods and thereby unleashed Bahamut, it killed millions. I know what it's like to—"

"You're serious." He looked stunned for a second. "How can you ... it's not the bloody same."

"Perhaps I didn't go pick random people to torment, but the cost of lives is surely higher. Likewise, I might not have acted out of sadism, but I gave in to a demonic power and it set free all the hatred I had bottled up for the gods. I fell, the way you did. The result is a great loss of lives."

"Oh, shut up, you were just mind controlled. That is nothing like my rebellion, or anything that happened after that!"

"Mind control?"

"Tch. Did Kaisar never tell you about Martinet or did you decide it didn't matter? The captain brat couldn't convince his thief friend to kill him after years of murder attempts, do you really think he's got a secret world destruction wish to have unravelled?"

"That's exactly why he might have been vulnrable," Jeanne sputtered. "Favaro Leone was hardly the purest soul."

"Do you even know how he took the potion?"

"I wasn't there. Were you?" Jeanne said.

"No, but I know demonic pacts. They're dissolved with magic, not medicine. The zombie girl, your lieutenant's friend, she is a doctor."

Jeanne shook her head. "Kaisar's little friend had nothing to do with this."

"Yes she did! I was in the room when she made the damn anti dote! Martinet developed a physical ... something. Like a pact, it transfers power of the demon lord to the host, but it also changes the mind. The way zombies are controlled by a zombie master. The zombie girl needed only an example of a demonic channel and she could reverse engineer it."

Jeanne shook her head. It had been Michael who had cured her. Now he really was lying. "I'm not being deluded what happened, I remember every second as clear as day. I'd hoped you'd keep the serpents tongue down, but I suppose you can't help it. I will not be deterred to think lightly of my sins and that is the end of that. Please move."

He just spread his wings, blocking the way out more. "Your sins? I bet you never even had a bloodthirsty thought in your life. You have no idea what kind of thinking it takes get up decide, good day for some murder."

"I suppose it will feel easy because you've been engulfed by the darkness for so long," Jeanne said with maddening certainty." I've been both holy and cursed only for a few hours, but is nothing about the latter is—"

"You don't know better what it is to be a demon than I do!" Azazel's wings flared, the white in his eyes growing. For the first time since their recent meeting she felt like she stood before a hostile demon, but all that happened is that he flew away.

The boards where he'd jumped off had broken. Jeanne carefully went around them and met Nina's worried mother with assurances. This really was nothing but the exact kind of spiritual conflict she'd expected from the get go, and it was remarkable that all her time with Azazel had been so low on tension, all darkness considered. No need to fret, all was well. He'd spooked her a little, surely that was the reason she shook a little in her knees, and not because she feared he might be honest.

Unwanted, an old drunk conversation from when Favaro had been one of her knights drifted to remembrance. " _Transforming back healed the wound, but that damn shit should've worked faster. Amira her last control when it looked like I was dead. She might still be with_ us."

· · · · · · ·

Nina was in the middle of cleaning up after the kids and trying not to fret about the reveal that not two but three people in her life were mass murderers when Azazel barged in. His arms were full of plants and rocks and bark, and on his face was the first normal look of determination. Without a word, he unfolded a wing and nudged her along to her room with it. There, he dumped it all on the floor.

"Uhm, what is this for?" she said as she closed the door to lock the swarm of curious kids out.

"Jeanne is driving me up the wall with her suffering sinner nonsense! She won't believe me when I say she was mind controlled, so we're going to prove it." He gestured at the mess on the floor. "Help me make a possession potion."

Oh thank goodness, it was just two after all.

One look across the haphazard way everything was thrown together, and Nina asked, "Do you actually know how to brew stuff?"

"I was in the room when Rita made the antidote," he said. "She told Bacchus and Hamsa what she needed and they went out and bought that stuff, and my memory is better than a mere human's."

Really, did he expect her to believe he knew what he was doing after hearing Rita complain about his utter lack of self care for weeks? Nina just crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"Okay, I wasn't actually watching," he said. "But I've made a lot of pacts and I know when it's right."

"Right."

Jeanne had mentioned something about sin, but Nina hadn't realized it was that bad. So it was worth getting her room a little dirty, anything that'd make things better. So, she snatched a kettle with warm water and a few towels to keep the floor clean.

Once she was back in her room, Azazel had already separated herbs into piles and was now mixing two in his hands; having a lot of magical snakes made it easier to get things done. She sat opposite of him and tried to help, which mostly involved her grinding things in her hands. He had trouble with that.

After some pushing, he explained what everything did, but it was hard to keep track of. Some of the herbs had effects and powers that didn't match at all what the doctors in her own village could do with them, yet it worked when he used it.

Nettles were just stringy to her, but apparently in the right combination had magical powers of infection somehow. A lot of the other plants were local and he just hoped they were close enough.

Quartzes were conductors to him, but balancers to her town. Grinding them to fine dust and ingesting them sounded like a bad idea, but apparently this had happened to Jeanne before so it'd probably be fine. Assuming this was what Rita had meant when she'd muttered about counteracting quartz crystalization.

Claws were handy for cutting rock, less so for finely holding small spoons; he couldn't do it with his black hand at all so Nina covered parts where one had to add tiny pinches at the same time. Of course, Azazel could levitate things close to him and manifest snakes with fine precision. He wouldn't say it, but he didn't manage that precision anymore. Worse, the snakes emerging from his flesh caused his arms to shake. Nina was sure it'd have to hurt.

"Hey, maybe we have some medicine that can fix that problem." She nodded at the snake.

"It's nothing plants can fix," he said. "Just focus on this."

Of course.

Did did try to focus, but the actual magic was incomprehensible to Nina. She could feel the magic move, but not interpret it while Azazel conjured circles and flicked flames and turned goo purple without any visible prompt. Could all demons do magic like this, had her own people lost it?

By the time Azazel levitated droplets from his palm into a small vial, she still had no idea, and a lot of curiosity.

"Where's that furry pet of yours?" he asked.

"Meep Meep? Nah, I'll try it myself!" She snatched it, dodging his hand and two snakes before gulping it down.

It didn't know what to with her.

It teethered on the edge of her hybrid soul, laying over her like a veil and trying to subdue all thought. It might have taken over if not for her dragon reflex to flare up. It didn't push her to transformation outright, but the pulse returned and washed it away. She folded her hands before her heart and dismissed the energy, just to get rid of the transformation altogether.

Left was a tickling sensation and rather amusing knowledge.

"Didn't take, but only cause I'm too magical. It'll probably work on Jeanne."

"What is wrong with you? That wasn't tested!"

"It is now!" she said with a grin. "So, was the command you put in it something like go _get me cake_?"

"What? No."

"And there's this very clear sense you don't want anyone to know the cake is for you."

"I don't want a cake! I just thought it would be something you could do without it looking suspicious."

"Uh huh." Totally going to get him a cake somewhere. "Alas, I'm afraid we don't have cake in this village, but you've got plenty of time to figure how to hint me which type you want before the next town. I've got a little money now, but don't make it too big. You still owe me an apology anyway, so maybe it'll just be a slice, not a whole one."

"I don't want cake shut up and tell me where Jeanne is."

She directed him where to go, and remembered her mother had rules. Also, knowing Azazel the command Jeanne would get wouldn't involve cake now. Probably be flashier, and maybe the house should be empty.

She found her mother and said, "Mom, I know I promised to help babysitting, but could we have some privacy? We need to do some magic, but it's pretty delicate, so if you could keep the kids from the upper level that's be great."

Her mother gave her a peculiar look, then her eyes widened and she said. "Oh! Of course. Sure. No problem at all. I'll take them out for an air game."

· · · · · · ·

Jeanne was just in the middle of taking a careful walk around the boardwalk when Azazel swooped her along. It got her so nauseaus she sat down wherever the trip ended and couldn't take a look or complain before she'd steadier herself.

The end point turned out to be just inside Nina's room. Azazel jumped over her, since she blocked the floor before the window.

"Azazel! I have a door. Did you even ask her?"

"This was faster."

She slapped his wing. "We're not in a hurry. You ask next time, got it?"

He grumbled something that might be affirmative.

Nina hunched before Jeanne, holding out a small cup."Look what we made!"

The thick liquid within made her want to crawl into the earth, before _it_ made her crawl out of her skin.

"It's the potion that Martinet guy made. We recreated it so you can take it again and see it's real possession and not you," Nina said.

Azazel dropped down on the bed, arms behind his head. "Like I tried to say before, Martinet would have instilled a command upon it, like "take your fancy ass god killer sword, go to Eibos and murder the gods upholding the barrier" with a complimentary cue on how to ride a flying demon. I don't know how to do that last one, but commands I handle. You can't know ahead of time what the command will be."

Jeanne gave Nina an incredulous look. "You want me to let Azazel possess me?"

"It's not real possession, dammit." He conjured up a snake from his palm; not the kind that emerged from the flesh."It puts some of my power with _will manifest_ within you. Like these things. You will carry out what is programmed and any new command I give you, but not what I think afterward. Take it and quit whining."

Jeanne looked between cup, demon and Nina's hopelessly optimistic smile as the latter said, "Don't worry, I was here the entire time and I'm positive it's not going to explode or poison you. This stuff doesn't work on me, so it's gotta be something that's only bad on humans!"

That could have been more assuring.

Ineffective words aside, nothing about this scenario was like Martinet's temptation. She wasn't in a dungeon, rather had broken _out_ of a dungeon with Nina's help, and seen Azazel broken out by Kaisar, who once was his enemy. Azazel's behavior since forth had been nothing but helpful. That he lacked the motivation to do something truly evil seemed more likely than that he was an extremely good actor with an indiscernible yet solid reason to potentially aggravate a whole village of dragons.

A thousand past prayers screamed she shouldn't do this, treachery all over again, she was in a village of demons, _don't do it again_!

One single voice of reason just told her they had no evil motivation.

"It's okay," Nina said, and either she was the best liar or the most stupid person, or perhaps this truly was safe.

It wasn't a voice at all that compelled her to take the test, just a feeling that Nina drew upon. Some way of trust she'd lost.

Her hand trembled, and she couldn't make it stop even as she swallowed the potion.

The same bitter, salty flavor and the familair lick of darkness, seeping into her soul and wrapping around her heart and pulling her physical form along, dressing her in a simulation of her devil's armor of ten years ago with more of Azazel's style thrown in.

Azazel didn't look it lately but he was terribly powerful, a bastion ready to invoke for guidance from hell's fires if only she wanted to.

But she did not. She wanted something very different. As the potion took over, that was all she wanted, not even to think about anything else.

Jeane got up, went out the door hopping on one leg and flapping her arms, all the was around the circuluar boardwalk of the house. It was vitally important that she did so, and thus she paid haste to it. Quacking along the way.

She returned to the room and stayed in place, still a duck without being a duck.

"Maybe we should keep her like this, easier," Azazel said.

Nina pulled at his wing, and he tossed Jeanne a small black sphere that she swallowed on another untold command. The darkness seeped out of her, leaving her behind in a lighter variant of the dark armor and ... _oh gods_ ... profoundly aware of the mortifying act she had just performed.

"How about you tell us about your deep, dark obsession with ducks that you've surely been fighting against for years," Azazel said with an insufferable smirk.

Jeanne's offense was burried below the avalanche of _everything being so wrong_. There had been no struggle against the darkness. The struggle preceding her falter had been just what she'd felt it was at first : sorrow at betrayal, not the pain of a hidden evil. She'd spent ten years believing that had been the start of darkness, buthere was no devil in her heart anymore than that there was a clownish duck.

She had not murdered millions by breaking the barrier on Bahamut.

Ten years that guilt had defined her very life and now ...

Azazel lying there looking smug was so ... so ... offensive precisely because he was being mostly harmless.

She still tried to find some hidden string that could explain this all as some evil plot but ...

The door burst open and there stood Libushe. She took in the whole scene with horrified eyes that crossed the potion and ingreients before settling on Nina.

"Nina ... you're not having sex."

Dead silence fell, during which Nina and Azazel respectivelly took pink and purple hues.

"Mwuhuehwhat?" Nina blubbered.

"The village is in a ruckus because they saw that dark possession spell cast on that poor woman. Nina, how could you?"

"I'm fine," Jeanne said automatically. "I'm better."

Literary. The throbbing in her head, the sickness, all was gone.

Jeanne ran her fingers over her bare right arm, trying to find the whip scars from the past years. A cut had been in her flesh where she'd pried out a shard, before learning to reject its toxic power. All gone. Even her usual muscle had returned, perhaps moreso than before now the usual had involved hard farm labor again.

The first transformation had put her back into perfect health, even her missing teeth were back. Mildly hungry and thirsty, but not unbearably so. A perfect medium. Was it just some cover up perhaps, because the spell needed her to be optical, some poor bandage of magic ... maybe Michael had healed her so transforming back didn't break her ... but he hadn't been able to heal himself ...

Favaro Leone had been shot in the chest with an arrow and lived. Dark magic transformations healed by default and left behind a healthy body even in its absence.

She wasn't a mass murderer, she had no inner devil, and even if she had, it might only have meant the ability to heal because the murders were the commands of Martinet.

Blurbs of a heated conversation in the present reached her consciousness. Oh, right. Reality included being in a town of dragons.

"But I asked permission!" Nina pouted. "You said yes!"

"When I said I was alright with practicing arcane magic in your room, I thought you were being shy about telling me to please not walk in on you losing your virginity. I might not be most keen on your partner being a murderous demon, but I understood that it's difficult to come by guys who can uh, get out unscathed if you were to transform. I appreciated that sought my cooperation and would've put up with your room possibly exploding, but I find you were practicing _actual dark magic_? Not in my house, young lady."

Azazel got purple enough to match Nina and was inching towards the window.

"And you! We let you stay her on good faith, just for you to pull out the arcane magic within the week? The barrier over these area is extremely fragile and important, and there apparently is a tyrant out there hunting my daughter down, and you just get her to play around with evil pacts?"

At that last part there was a flicked of anger to mingle with his mortification.

Amid her crisis of faith Jeanne head enough presence of mind to remember the duck thing had not been nice. She sat down in the window, daring him to shove her aside.

Azazel looked miffed and just went through the wall, leaving behind splinters and feathers.

This was her reality now. She wasn't a mass murderer, dark magic healed, Lucifer's right hand backed off by being given a stern look, and the biggest problem right now was a mother arguing with her daughter over _not_ fornicating out of wedlock and with a demon. This was ...

This was seven layers of _ridiculous_.

This was also a dillema she could not easily address here. Soon she was be in heaven, surely she could get her answers there. The way things were now, she might actually stand before the gods without the burden of an unrepentable sin. Later. Jeanne gathered her worries, folded them in a box for later, and acted.

"Miss Libushe, please understand, it's something I needed," she said, holding her hands up in a placating gesture. "I have been gravely misinformed about the nature of demonic power and they did good by revealing the truth to me."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember what I alluded to the night we arrived? I'm the one who killed the angels that had kept Bahamut back ... at least I thought so," she said. The words that came out didn't come close to encompassing what she felt, and in a way that made it worse. "Azazel claimed that those were not indicative of my nature, but the result of possession. We put it to a test. You need no concern yourself over this type of magic breaking protective barriers lest he'd given me orders to kill the source of it. He has not."

"There. She's not mind controlled on saying that, you can just ask Qhispe to check, okay?" Nina said.

Libushe gave Jeanne a searching look, particularly at the strange armor. Jeanne took the band off her head; a useless ornament of twists with a single feather, attached to a chain of now white squares. Handing it to Libushe, she said, "There was darkness here, but it vanished with the antidote. Feel free to have it tested by any sage, if you believe I am not reliable."

The heavy sigh and heavenward glance were clear enough. A mother's resignation.

Nina didn't know she'd won already and went on."Come on mom, you can't exactly ground me anyway, I have to go to heaven soon," Nina wheedled. "And it won't happen again."

"I suppose it was a misunderstanding, but next time you should be more clear about it," Libushe said. "I now have to deal with explaining this to the entire village and where do I even begin? They are already so at edge because of there being a demon."

Jeanne took a deep breath, and straightened herself out. "I believe there is something more urgent for you to bring clarity on. Please tell your daughter the truth."

"The truth about what?" Nina asked.

Libushe dittered and wouldn't look at Nina anymore. Jeanne added, "How is she ever going to understand herself if she doesn't know where to begin? At least the truth is a starting point."

"Tell me what?" Nina asked.

"You see, dear ... uhm ... why don't I go cook something and get Jeanne some new clothes? I have to think about how to put a few things first."

"It's alright, perhaps it will help if I go around in this to make the change clear. I mean to have a few more words with Azazel anyway," Jeanne said.

And she ought to pray too, but how to even begin asking lord Michael about any of this?

Maybe she'd get herself some new clothes first.

· · · · · · ·

El sat alone within a domed sanctuary, eyes closed to lock out any distractions left. The first whispers of praying voices had begun to reach nur, always the same mantra over and over again.

 _"Saint Jegudiel the Archangel, angel of praise to God, pray for us, that in every act, in every job, in every work, and in every labor we may constantly carry out the will of the Lord gladly and in praise for all He has given us. Amen."_

According to Gabriel this would make nur more powerful as it carried faith, but nur didn't feel anything other than a weakening of the clarity the unicorn had left nur with. Part of El wanted to go back out and meet the unicorn again, but Gabriel wouldn't allow it. Even Sofiel's time with El was more regulated now.

The silence and lack of stimulation was supposed to be enlightening, but it was almost unbearable. Nothing all around, but the praying voices that nur could not answer.

So when the knock on nur's head came startled El so much, nur wings shot out and eyes went open.

Before nur stood a smiling angel with a familiar face : the one who had helped nur get to Bacchus and Hamsa before. A stark contrast of browns and geometic shapes and ornate cloth against the monotone marble of the sanctuary, even the angel's voice was a soft and vibrant, "Hello there, El Mugaro. Call me the Magedatidot."

"I'm ... I'm Jegudiel," ne muttered. "And how did you get in?"

"You are not, and the Magedatidot is only a title I've been given too." Ve folded vun long dress up and sat opposite of nur. "Both of us have been given names and fate has no purpose for us. I got in because I do not feed on faith, but fate and folly."

"You're weird," ne said. "Why did you help me get to Bacchus and Hamsa before?"

"Cause you need to learn, but things went a little wrong now." Ve gave an apologetic little smile.

"I failed to bring down Charioce, I know. I can't heal the world yet. I failed my destiny."

The Magedatidot shook vun head. "As the prophet I declare no. Fate finds you rather much of an obstruction that must be worked around and it favors Charioce XVII. All practical things taken into consideration, he would have won no matter how good you are at healing. The power of Dromos goes deeper while you cure the surface alone. Your way will be by another."

"And what would that even be?" El asked. "Heaven is my only teacher now. I still have to save my mother and everyone else and ..."

"Azazel too, you can say it. I already know and will not tell, I see no sin in attachment."

"But ... but he's done so much ... at least Gabriel says so."

"Gabriel is not lying about what Azazel has done, buuuut ...," the Magedatidot said. "One question you must keep with you now : what could you hold, goodness or people, when you are asked to do something with the future?"

"Jegudiel, who are you talking to?" The entrance gate opened, and Dione's forehead emerged.

"Oh, sorry, must go," and within a blink the Magedatidot was gone.

· · · · · · ·

Goddamit why were humans so humiliating. There was nothing left to lose to his pride as a demon lord, but still something as a demon, and this was so not okay. Why did humans have to be so weird about sex, and in such a way it get even him on the spot?

When a carriage door opened he hoped it wouldn't be Nina, and hope was met for once. Jeanne entered. She'd shed the transformation outfit in favor of a colorful local travel style, and cut some of her long hair. She didn't struggle to walk or look sickly anymore.

Confident but still weary, she took a seat on the couch adjacent to his.

"I wanted to thank you. I think it helped me reconsider something I need to face," Jeanne said, because she was a fool.

"Taken, you can go now."

"Actually, there was a lot of panic about your little stunt," Jeanne said. "Qhispe has agreed we'll leave sooner to alleviate said panic. Did you need to choose something so visible?"

"I know you knights and your damn honor. It's a frame of display, you would never have chosen something that disgraces yourself. Then again, if you can convince yourself you wanted to kill Michael, you're probably half mad already."

"About that. It is not madness, it is faith. I was given the impression the world works a certain way, which you challenged to the core. If dark magic did not enhance any inner evil of mine, and it is as you claim a matter of one's own choices, then why are so many demons I have met so evil?"

Aaaand there it was. The big fancy existential questions he had no answer to. "Don't ask me. I don't even know whom you met."

"Gods know how, or perhaps they do not, but the transformation healed me," she said. "There is so much that needs to be understood better. Aren't you at least curious to understood the nature of heaven and hell?"

He closed his eyes. "No."

"Then what do you want?"

Don't bother, don't bother, don't bother ...

"I want my people to be free," Azazel said. "And once I would have them restored to our former glory, but now I don't know what that would even mean."

"Perhaps you should come with us to heaven, and we can unravel a better future from there. I do not believe the gods meant El any harm even if it appeared abduction. Surely they believed to be saving El from danger, but if El was your ally then we can clarify that. The wisdom of the gods might not be as all encompassing as I had thought, but it has supported the world for a long time."

Supported the fields of faith. Hah.

He did want to see Mugaro again, or at least know she was alright. Breaking Mugaro out of heaven would be impossible, though. Now he got to this point, it wasn't like there was a safer place to take El anyway. Earth was all but ruled by Charioce, hell was locked up or too desolate. Or ruled by Lucifer, who might just consider Mugaro an asset.

"What do you even think you'll find in heaven?" he asked.

"I am not sure," she said. Hmm, doubt. Better than he'd expected. Maybe she wouldn't turn him over right away.

"Azazel, I believe we both have a lot to learn about ourselves, and I truly think we can make that start in heaven. If for no other reason, you must understand it is the one place Charioce has not yet planted his flag in."

Helheim was still untouched. He could go there with his tail between his legs, maybe even convince Nina to go and never mention Mugaro. Maybe Lucifer would make a better plan. Maybe not. Probably not, if he returned with a story of so much failure.

"Fine. I'll go." See how long he lasted.

Jeanne would have said something else if not for the inhuman scream down the tree. Nina.

Azazel shot off up, pulled Jeanne along and landed before the tree, some distance from a gathering crowd.

Nina just came to a halt on the grass far from the tree, surrounding by the telltale pink light. She had her arms clutched across her chest and teary eyes wide, almost like she was mad.

Jeanne ran for her, holding out her hands brimming with magic potential.

"No! Let me try. I'll stay me ..."

Despite her effort, the pink light took over, and two women stepped back to transform into dragons. One of them pulled a massive chain from between the tree roots.

"Wait, she won't do anything!" Jeanne called, just to be ignored.

Azazel unleashed a dozen snakes from between his wings, blocked the way before either dragon. "Nobody's being tied down."

Nina's history of rampages would have them set to subdue her, but he wasn't at all patient for that kind of thing now.

They didn't try, less so for respecting him and more because what Jeanne managed. It didn't look like anything, but the light diminished.

Jeanne began to take step backs until it was only Nina holding the light, her eyes closed in concentration.

Libushe ran up, a cloak in her hands, but Nina did not transform. Her expression turned calmer with every breath.

By the time Nina was stable, she hadn't even lost her clothing. Dropping her arms, she turned to her mother and said something.

Azazel landed next to Jeanne. "What was that about?"

"It's not my place to tell you," Jeanne said. "You can ask her yourself later."

The crowd dispersed, Nina and her mother went back inside, and Azazel killed the time by retrieving the carriage.

The hippogryph got a last meal before picking up Nina and Jeanne, along with a flock of children and Libushe. Azazel flew along outside, avoiding the crowd.

Aside of Qhispe's home was an open area where the carriage could land. Qhispe already stood there and was idly complaining about her travelling plans and paranoid villagers.

Azazel kept away from the farewell rigamole, which started with Nina hugging her mom followed by group hugging the kids and promising to bring the kids better than souvenirs : an angel. She no doubt meant Mugaro.

Qhispe shuffled away from the group and enveloped herself with pure light. This dragon had once carried the weary gods back to Vanaheimr, so she had to be large. He wasn't prepared for how much.

Qhispe as a dragon had dark brown scales with white markings, long gray manes and even some gold ornaments on her spikes. Unlike Nina, she was elegant and had an even back, and even the bone extensions on her legs were a row of multiple movable spikes rather than the useless blade at Nina's forearms. She was so colossal, her head alone was bigger than the whole of Nina's dragon form. If she shared Nina's immunity, she would be able to just land on Charioce's castle without even a real fight, and that would be the end of it. And a whole village of them ... hell would not have fallen with them on their side. What had they ruined so long ago, to lose this tribe to the human world?

The humans just stood in her shadow with simple wonder that was soon replaced by more farewells. Libushe gave Jeanne a hug that surprised her, but which she readily accepted.

"Take care of her, please," Libushe told Jeanne.

"I'm afraid she'll just end up taking care of us instead," Jeanne said with a smile. "But I'll be there if she needs me."

Azazel went to the other side of the carriage before Libushe got any mushy ideas, but she followed him around anyway.

"Uhm, Azazel?"

"What?" He leaned against the carriage, didn't look at her and hoped it came across as contemptuous disregard.

"I can't pretend I'm at peace with you and everything you've dragged my daughter into, and to be honest, I'm not entirely dismissive of rumors you'll tempt my daughter to hell. But she's surrounded by good people and you haven't really tried yet, so ... I hope it stays that way."

"Ha. I wasn't very good at tempting people. Everyone I pacted with already was utter scum," he said. "I couldn't seduce Nina even if I wanted to."

"I take it you don't want to, then?"

"What for? She already wants to help the demons," he said. "What she does after that is not my concern."

"And what will _you_ do after that?"

"I don't know." He really didn't. There was no going back to the way he'd lived before. He'd serve Lucifer, but Lucifer barely commanded him anything. He didn't know what to kill time with other than that. Mugaro would probably live with Jeanne and not need him. He'd be a problem if anything else.

If his people could even be freed from Charioce before he wiped them out.

Nina and Jeanne got in through the door on the other side, and he was just about to use that as an excuse to dodge Libushe when Qhispe picked up the carriage. Azazel's act of aloof leaning in the shadows ended up with him flat on the ground. Of course. Why wouldn't it. "If nothing else I'll become a shephard of scapegoats."

Libushe had the nerve to laugh.

He got off the ground before the hoard of kids piled onto him and waited in the air for the dragon to take off. Nina and Jeanne hung out the carriage, waving.

"Protect your friends, Nina!" Libushe called after them.

Azazel didn't doubt she would try. Even as she'd failed to kill Charioce, she'd come for him. He's much rather she'd gone for Charioce instead and let him die.

· · · · · · ·


	15. Anamnesis

**· · · · · · ·**

Eibos just never had a sunny day any time in the past ten years. Really, fate? Bribed the weather too, because somehow sickening yellows was necesary? Payments to the workers were today, and he wanted to check on the progress of the rift. There weren't many humans capable of handling barriers or the power of Dromos. People were either overworked or dying from the zommorods, so perhaps fate was just giving mood lightning.

His skybeast landed, get off, get into the barrier, but not heading into the crater yet because this time he had Merlin with him. He planned to keep her at the convoy to provide barriers against Bahamut during the final hour, so she had to be introduced to the big lizard's sinkhole being a thing.

At the edge of the crater, Merlin just squinted. "What is behind this barrier? I cannot sense anything."

He hadn't told her where they were going, so it was good to learn the blank space worked, at least that worked as planned. Unless someone found a way to zombify this thing too.

"There is a shield effective to prevent radiance alerting anyone," Charioce said. "So the work remains in the hands of us alone."

Von List meanwhile flipped through a status report that had just been delivered. "Concerning that, our workers are at their very limits, your majesty. Perhaps we should leave this to the gods after all."

The gods would do it for free, sure, but see that beat the point. Humans shouldn't need the gods for _anything_ , not even Bahamut. He narrowed his eyes, and von List scampered away with apologies rolling off his papery tongue.

He wished he had the same effect on Merlin, who had locked him with a glare. "You are emptying your treasury upholding _this_ when you could have it all done for free? What is behind that barrier?"

"We're in Eibos," he said. "Making sure timing happens as planned so nobody will ever have to be in Eibos again."

Merlin did a fine impression of a fish on land right there.

"Bahamut cannot be destroyed, it is a primordial being!"

"Its physical body is composed entirely of ichor," Charioce said. "I believe that if we destroy that body using Dromos to tear the soul out of it, it will not remanifest again. It had a beginning, we just need to get rid of that beginning."

"Dromos? Which is at the city? Bahamut unleashes gigantic fireballs at the rhythm of our breath!"

"I will strike it down before it lays waste to the city."

"And what if it does not follow you?" Merlin asked. "It could lay waste to the entire world before it crosses paths with Dromos!"

He just hoped it liked moving targets.

"I turned against Azazel because I came to understand my attempt to defy fate had just placed me in the hands of a mad demon who only wanted to play," Merlin said. "I had a long time to think about that. Do not make me regret my decision to serve you."

"Do not make me regret hiring you," he said.

She looked like she considered it, but found herself too important to indulge further.

He showed her inside, explained the barest minimum of the protocols, had her experiment with her magic a little — it was hampered by the rift, but would be fine once away — then returned to his private chambers on the ship. Time to brainstorm a little in silence. How big would the backlash be if he started selling gods? The kingdoms now knew what went down, but there were enough of his supporters who would jump at the chance. Maybe he'd raid Helheim, see whether he could get his hands on Lucifer after all.

Barely had he closed the door behind him or something flickered into being on the other end of the room.

A batwinged and more faceless than Satan had been, only somewhat shaped like a woman below the darkness. "You have blessed me today, so let us work on what makes you falter."

"None have made me falter enough for it to matter," he said. "Why, do you intend to make me? Perhaps play a game of temptation? Try it, you would not be the first demon to have taken that shot."

"No concern I might kill you?" it said.

"No, you do not," he said. It was a bet, but one he was fairly certain of. The thing felt cold in ways that made no sense, its very aura permeated life — like Dromos did, albeit less inanimate. This thing, however fractuous and detached, was alive and had a purpose for being here. "So why not tell me why you came to see me?"

"Curiosity," it said. "I was here already, you summoned me a long time ago, but now I watch. You seal fate over and over. Thank you."

That thing had no business talking of his fate. Charioce unleashed a torrent of green lightning on the demon.

It should have at the very least thrown it back, but it just floated there with the barest hint of sparks running over its skin.

"You are not a hybrid or chimera," he said. "How can you resist?"

"I am you."

"No, and that is a weak move. I will never see myself in demons."

"Demons? My face is the face of every mortal who does evil knowingly. I am within you, _human_. Do you pretend you do not see me?"

"If you intend to play a mind game, you could do better," he said.

"You will play with yourself. You are not Kṛiṣṇa, you am I."

Charioce sighed. "I take tjhat I now have _two_ specters haunting me. Maybe you should start a club. Organize the souls of everyone I killed to form a protest, see whether I care."

"If only I could, but they are not mine." With that, it vanished.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Favaro threw back the whole beer in one go and told himself it'd be the last one. Walfrid was already raving drunk, _someone_ needed to be clear in their head.

His prior approach to messing with fate might not have been the most solid, but man, it'd been more exciting. Starting up rebellions turned out to be dreadfully boring. Sure, information winning was an important process of bounty hunting every now and then too, but this. Go here on the rumor someone knows a thing, fail, go there to learn another rumor, follow it learn maybe some guy knows a guy who loathes but owes a debt to a guy who knows a guy who is friends with a guy who knows a guy who might be the lead of the Red Troupe. Not to mention the whole rigamole of proving he was trustworthy; really, that took most of the mental work. What a hassle.

He was about to order another drink but Amira ghosted before him with an utmost judgy look.

"Fine, fine ..." he muttered. "Bartender, got a coffee?"

Amira lightened up when the order appeared. Half of him figured he'd lose the last of the loose life if she returned for the world, the other half figured she might have a point.

He got halfway through that coffee when Amira snapped to focus on a new tenant. A middle aged man, red hair, mustache and solemn expression sided next to him and ordered a drink. Nothing unusual except for Amira's attention; she must've seen him before during her research ghosting.

Once the bartender was out of earshot, the man said to Walfrid, "Favaro Leone, an honor to meet you. If you're not a trap."

Favaro tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Sorry, man, I'm the real thing and got the tale and tail to prove it."

He pried some of the goo off of his face to break the disguise, which was already falling apart anyway; Trismegistus wasn't interested in any rebellion and had bailed.

"Let's go somewhere private."

Private as in a well guarded cellar under this very tavern. Meh, he could deal if it turned into a problem.

Even before Charioce had torn down Favaro's statue, there weren't that much images of him in circulation, but the man had gotten one. It was just very bad, and Favaro had to pull out the tail and intricate knowledge of the inner workings of the court before he even learned the man's name was Sarvo Harnak.

"So, I wanna make a deal between the Red Troupe and a bunch of my demon buddies."

"Really? There's a demon holding half the city hostage, ready to burn all humans down while the demons celebrate. You have to admit your idea of joining with them sounds crazy."

"Not so much. Demons are immune to _regular_ fire," Favaro said. " _Demonic_ fire works much faster and can affect them. There won't be time to evacuate. Not all demons are bound to be on her side for that alone. Believe me ..." Favaro had to fight to keep his face straight and not ruin this with one silly grin. "... there's demons who are her enemy. Olivia's the aggressor, while Belphegor works with the humans who escaped that island."

"The who now?"

Favaro covered the factory of Dromos as well as he could without giving away his sources. A bit of embellishing was done about how saving the world totally ran in his blood and fate compelled him to do this.

"So that's what I know. I'd like to just kill the king and use the chaos to my advantage, but that won't be so easy. Is he even in the city?" He wasn't according to Amira, Favaro just wanted to know how useful this guy was.

"No, he's gone more often than he lets on. Sometimes he goes somewhere other than raids, so we suspect they are laying the foundation for future military endeavors, but this gives us a chance to strike. A take over of the city and confrontation with the king _outside_ its perimeters might be preferable. Understand, we expect to join forces with another country at some point. There's word a few are discontent with the war on the gods."

"Thing is for my purpose, what do you want out of rebellion?"

"We want our beloved country to remain the proud land it is, not to become an empire of conquest. In the castle there's talk of this future entitled the Thule movement, which comes with a very large if. All the allied kingdoms are to be gathered under a single banner, the man to do it is already being trained, but also restrained. He is not a public figure yet. It's almost as if everyone prepares for the king to die soon," Sarvo said. "We suspect an assasination attempt or similar, perhaps the king is being cautious. There is a noble nearby whom he needs to strengthen the army, but who is not trusted. Regardless, the Charioce bloodline will not lead us back to glory. He must go ... if anyone were to asssinate him in the mean time, we would not care much whether it is a human or not."

"And Dromos, any wild plans on trying to control it?"

"We find the thing distasteful, but others might want to use it."

Favaro might be one of them, but he didn't have enough aces up his sleeve yet to be certain he even could. So for now, "Assasination is not what Charioce and his people fear. What if I told you he is going to aim at Bahamut?"

Now that got the man's attention. If nothing else, Favaro would have his ear for a few hours.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel didn't expect anything from heaven. He'd seen enough of it, and hell had long since become his home. There wasn't anything there he cared for beyond Mugaro, and irony not lost on him. Falling had felt like it was worth it in that old, mad rush of temptation, now he headed back to heaven for a child born of human and god. It wasn't a reverse of his fall, not quite, but it might be a book end that fit well.

He could've gone on avoiding if not for Qhispe asking eventually, "So, should I be preparing for an epic escape or is this just a visit?"

"I'll give you that I do not agree with my child being sent onto a warzone," Jeanne said. "But El does have a power that renders most threats a moot point. ... Azazel, what exactly did you have El do in the arena?"

"Mugaro did the mercy killing and the books, I did everything else. Cleaning, gathering, transport, harvesting," he said. "What, you think I'd send her to war if I'd known of her power?"

"El did chores on the farm too, I thought you might've taught El to fight."

"Pffft. Mugaro is completely unfit for that. I taught her where to run in case of trouble and stay out of the way of fights."

That was the closest Jeanne and Azazel had gotten to discussing any fighting against Charioce. They didn't talk of rebellions, nor of what happened to them, and it should stay that way. She didn't have her head up in crazy plans, unlike Nina.

"Hey, Jeanne, what do you want do after you and Mugaro are together again?" Nina asked.

"Lord Michael surely wants—"

"Cut out that crap," Azazel snapped. "She asked what _you_ want, not Michael."

"What I want tends to align to the judgment of lord Michael. I believe he wishes for El and I to live in peace, for El came to me after I ... I usually pray for guidance, but at that point, I had prayed for relief," Jeanne said.

"That's it? _Michael_ wanting an angel to _live on earth_ with a _human_." Azazel let scatching laughter out. "Really?"

"Why do you question that?" Jeanne asked.

"Oh, nothing. I suppose lord high and mighty can do whatever _he_ deems _right_."

Jeanne hated that reply, thankfully shit up and let it be. He kept his tongue too and tried his damnest to not dwell on the past.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Getting into heaven like this was shakier than by portal, but hey, at least she was inside a nice carriage. So when the three of them were thrown around by turbulence, well, it wasn't being hit by lightning. And halfway through Azazel made a network of black snakes so the crashing into hard objects bit stopped being a thing too. It just left them all a bit like bugs in a spiderweb; Azazel had clearly invented this on the spot. Nina would introduce him to the concept of hammocks for the next time.

"Bet you didn't expect to ever enter heaven like this," Nina said to Jeanne.

Jeanne side eyed a nearby snake. "I'll admit I had some fantasies of being invited to heaven, and this is ... uh ... "

"Just say what you think : a goddamn disgrace," Azazel said, half smirking, half irritated at being seen this way.

"I don't feel _that_ strong about spiderwebs, really."

"Are you kids doing alright in there?" Qhispe thundered outside, voice strong enough to match the storm.

"Just fine!" Nina hollered. "We there yet?"

"Almost!"

Nina was rather how heaven looked outside that one building, but not as much as Jeanne, who expected a city upon shining clouds, shaped like the cathedrals that had been her home once. When Qhispe broke the cloud cover, Azazel dissolved the serpents. Nina and Jeanne each opened a window.

Heaven was a blistering white sea of clouds with a golden radiance upon it, like the aurora a traveller had once drawn for Nina. The sky above had not a speck of blue as it bathed the stars beyond in a copper veil. Ahead rose countless silver islands with lush forests, beyond which lay a city so radiant only its ivory peaks could be seen from here.

"It's so beautiful here," Nina said as she leaned back in. "Hey, Azazel, what sight seeing do you recommend? Where's the best restaurants?"

He shrugged. "I haven't been here in centuries, don't ask me."

Closer, the silver islands turned out to not be silver at all, but endless waterfalls. At the bottom the water turned into clouds, generating the eternal storm even as lower winds swept the clouds away.

"I'll take a break here," Qhispe rumbled. "Maybe find some place to ... oh. We've been spotted."

Nina looked around, but it had to be on the other side, so she peaked over Jeanne's shoulder there.

Left to Qhispe hovered a squad of angels with spears. Qhispe leaned to them and said she just an old granny visiting friends and delivering people home. The guard leader tapped her wrist and a tiny screen appeared over it. Too far for Nina to see what it showed, but somehow she talked to it.

Within seconds of closing it, a gate opened ahead. Out flew an angel decked in so much armor and frills, she could not tell whether it was intended for war or a masquerade ball.

Qhispe came to a hovering halt as he stopped in her path. "Ancient dragon, what it your business here?"

"Right now to give my old bones some rest, lad," she said. "Pfft, here I am paying my old friends and this is the greeting I get?"

"Apologies, ancient one, but would you fly to the city? Your size would damage our forests," he said.

"I suppose," Qhispe grumbled.

Crap, so much for the chance to shuffle Azazel into some crevice.

Jeanne moved to the door to get a better look, which set the new angel's eyes on her wide open.

"Jeanne d'Arc? Is it truly you?"

"You recognize me?"

The angel landed on Qhispe's back. "How wouldn't we know whom Michael's maiden is, especially now we search for you? My words are of disbelief, for we thought you had perished. You child indicated you were near the area where that dreadful weapon emerged."

Jeanne started, "I escaped, thanks to—" Nina threw the window open to yell, "Me! Hi, I'm Nina."

The angel gave her a cold looked before saying distinctly to Jeanne only, "I would bring you to lady Gabriel at once, but she has departed to one of the human countries that consider rebellion against Charioce XVII. I, Reinier, shall be your host until then."

Nina gave him a thumbs up, "Great, can you show us a restaurant? We've been eating nothing but road food."

"No, and you will address me with lord, not with great," he said. "Needs for food can be met at the palace."

They flew onward. Nina would have liked to see more of the city, but Qhispe got tired and Jeanne was in a hurry to see Mugaro. Sight seeing walks would have to wait.

Reinier could only say that Mugaro had returned to heaven after the siege, had regrown wings and shed some curse after initial kidnapping. Jeanne calmed a bit, but didn't lose the anxiety.

They found Qhispe a plaza to land on where she transformed. Reinier looked more than a little surprised at her appearance. "Are you ..."

"Yes, demon descendent," Qhispe said. "So, I could use some food after this flight, then I'd like to see some old friends. Nina, are you coming with me or going with Jeanne?"

"I'd like to go with Jeanne and meet Mugaro," Nina said. "How about you and your rickety old bones take the carriage?"

"How did you get that carriage, now we speak of it anyway?" Reinier asked.

Hmm, probably better not mention Bacchus and Hamsa if they were in trouble with the local authorities. "My teacher, Favaro Leone, found it abandoned around Anatae. It's okay if our old lady uses it for a bit, right?"

"We have floating platforms that will be much more convenient to go around. They respond to your will when flying." Reinier gestured at a row of chunky things that mocked gravity and should've been spinning tops.

Qhispe cast one look at those and declared, "Not enough pillows for my creaky old spine."

"Very well," he said. "You may take the carriage, but ensure the beast will be fed."

Qhispe took off with the carriage, thankfully removing Azazel from near Reinier.

Reinier had to make things difficult by asking, "Why did you not accompany her?"

Jeanne, spirits bless her, had an answer, "If I may impose, surely heaven has a memorial for lord Michael? I wish to see it, would you show me?"

"Ah, of course. I should have expected this from his maiden. Indeed we have and we may as well visit it before lady Gabriel returns."

Getting a hang of those floaty platforms was pretty easy. Big ugly gray things with a pointy tip, but a lot of fun to ride on. She tried not to play around too much though, since Jeanne stood on her platform and Reinier was the avatar of solemn protocol. Nina hoped not all gods in heaven were like that, but if they were, she could see why Bacchus, Hamsa and Azazel didn't fit.

After passing grand but almost empty passageways, they reached the edge of the city. A long platform stuck out there, beyond which lay a cluster of floating spherical buildings. At least three dozen, all with glistering blue glass at their tops and golden arches around. Beyond it lay clouds, then a line of mountains that looked so earthly compared to the grand architecture.

"Please keep your voice down. This mausoleum is a place where we pay respect to the dead," Reinier said.

Spirals of blue light spun high into the dome, countless little flames gathering around sharper outlines of angels and other gods. On the floor gathered living gods before small shrines where they kindled pale flames from candles, to mingle with the blue light. A woman with long wavy hair to the ground and blue dress tended to the shrines, stars in her hairs, who followed them but didn't speak.

Reinier brought them to a dome near the peak of the cluster. Here were the mirages of the most hailed, with Zeus at the peak. Michael's mirage hovered above a singular shrine with a candle burning. To Nina he didn't look so different than the other angels — beautiful and a tad androgynous, if less symmetrical. His hair covered what would be the red eye, and his wings were rounded up without much resemblance to a bird's.

It was the expression on Jeanne's face that gave meaning to what Nina would've glossed over otherwise. There was a way to cry from broken eyes and still look reverent. He must've meant so much to her. Hopefully she could at least think of him now without the shame.

Reinier walked to an angel in full ornate armor, save for a helmet over the long blond hair, who knelt before this mirage.

"Urlain, lord Michael's maiden has found us," Reinier whispered at this one.

Urlain finished a wave of flames, stood up gave Jeanne a stiff nod, which Jeanne returned more gracefully.

"Jeanne d'Arc, dalua Urlain is a dwoe who has some hope to become lord Michael's successor. Lady Gabriel has not yet approved nur of a position in the government though. You might wish to speak later regardless," Reinier whispered. "Lord Michael and dalua Urlain were close."

Urlain kindled one last flame that drifted the mirage before facing Jeanne. "I would have little to say to a human."

And just like that, ne walked away. Rude.

"Forgive nur. There is a great deal of grief within this place. At another time ne might be more congenial to a human," Reinier whispered.

"No, I understand completely," Jeanne whispered. "After what I have done—"

"It is the human nationswhere our grudge lies. You cannot apologize on all their behalf," Reinier said. "We have lost so many to keep Bahamut back long enough for the prophecied hero to strike, and what did humankind do? Thank us? We were forgotten, cast aside and lined up for annihilation."

"I'm sorry," Jeanne said despite Reinier's words.

Jeanne knelt before Michael's shrine and kindled a new flare of flames, which mingled with Michael's in a way Nina could swear was more vibrant. Jeanne did not see though, as she had closed her eyes in prayer.

Nina looked at the lights beyond Michael, memorizing all the faces she'd never meet. Which ones had Chris killed? How many? How could he? How could someone appear so kind yet do so much evil? Heaven and hell hated him for good reason, and she resented a world where that was true. If she understood him, maybe she could figure out what to say to make him stop and ...

And then what? All the understanding of his mind wouldn't bring back these people, and he didn't show a sign of slowing down. If he had his way, Jeanne would be dead along with everyone on the island, and Azazel still tortured. She herself would be dead. Letting her heart run would only lead her to his ruin.

Urlain was still in the hall, lighting flares at another shrine. Nina waited till ne was done before addressing nur.

"You're from the army, right? May I ask something?"

Urlain looked her up and down, sighed and said, "You may."

"When the king raids your sanctuaries, what happens?" Nina whispered.

"He takes the forbidden power and kills everyone, regardless of whether they are a threat. What few have escaped say he personally murders those who talk back. What, did you expect to hear he was nice about it?" Urlain said.

"No, I don't. In fact ... "

No matter what she felt, the pain he inflicted on everyone was so much worse. Her dragon self couldn't be her own enemy anymore.

" ... I know exactly how monstrous the things are that he does. I've survived them, and I've fought to help other victims survived. Jeanne is one of them, there will be more. I can resist the power of Dromos too. If Mugaro's isn't enough, maybe I can fill in what is missing."

All within earshot turned to her, and Nina felt the first spark of hope when she saw theirs.

"What would one human girl even do?" Reinier said.

"Human? Oh, you're wrong, I'm one of Qhispe's kind too," Nina said. "Have you heard anything about a magenta dragon that opposed Charioce?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

Heaven didn't look so deserted anymore when news spread there might be immune dragons. Nina's breakout story added fuel to the fire, and Jeanne was glad to not be the center of attention. Reinier had to detach them from the crowd soon since word was that Gabriel had returned. They were brought to a palace of light blue marble at the center of the city.

Only Charioce's gigantic palace rivalled this in size. Now it was the clear he had only been able to erect the gravity defying structure in a handful of years, where the much smaller prior castle had taken over a decade. He must have used material plundered from heaven. Where he had but one gigantic castle, every building here reached so far up so far she couldn't imagine how many stairs would be needed. No wonder everyone went around on these floating circular platforms, there was so much space, and so much to see — Charioce's architects could not rival the sheer beauty and cleanliness of heaven.

They passed long, arched hallways which Jeanne felt like she stained with her presence; she had to remind herself she wasn't a god murderer over and over.

A few passing angels glared at Nina, perhaps recognizing demonic nature or simply seeing a human. Jeanne put an arm around her shoulder, offering an encouraging smile.

"We've been told you and El protected the lady Sofiel," Reinier said shortly before the hall's end.

"Oh, she is named Sofiel?"

"Yes, she was in Anatae with a loyal follower of the gods to work on the restoration of faith. She followed your holy trail in hope of aid," Reinier said. "You have done us a service not only with your child's birthing. Ah, if only we had discovered nur before."

"Nur?"

"Hmm? Ah, right, earth has a simpler system. We have four sexes and associated genders. Your child is a dwoe, called dusiu when young."

The final doors opened to revealed a golden, shimmer lake tilted against gravity, laying beyond a silver hall lined with pillar that supported not a ceiling but fires. At the lake's edge was another floating platform, holding an angel with long pink hair.

It was her.

When Sofiel turned her face lit up in such a way Jeanne never seen on the stoic angels before. So much more human than she was used to, perhaps that was why Jeanne lost her sense of protocol. She stepped from behind Reinier, holding out her hand as the platform halted before hers.

The angel closed both hands around Jeanne's and pulled her onto her platform. It wobbled but soon steadied as the angel set her hands on Jeanne's shoulders. Jeanne had nowhere to leave her hands but holding Sofiel's upper arms, and her eyes close enough to notice hers were teal.

"You made it to safety," Jeanne said, which should have sound more reverent but ...

"Yes, I am," Sofiel said, the cheer from before now settled in a peaceful assurance. "Thanks to you and your child."

"I'm so glad." And that wasn't at all what should say either.

"Only, my safety came at the cost of you two. I wish it it had not."

"El ...Where is El? Lord Reinier wasn't certain why El was secluded."

"Do not worry, El made it back to heaven and is in good health."

Tears not of misery but relief welled up.

"Thank goodness ...," she said as all the tension of years of uncertainty fell off her, and tore her along. Sofiel caught her before she hit the ground, pulling her close.

Jeanne had forced herself through the last years on fortified willpower, now there was no more need she had to find her footing in mind.

"Good to see you, Jeanne," came a familair voice. Jeanne tried to focus on the approaching figure as Sofiel helped her stand, and kept holding her.

The approaching platform had an angel with mint hair, and now the voice clicked in place. TGabriel had lost the gold ornaments and her halo was gone too, even her clothes had changed, but now she was unmistably the queen of heaven.

"Lady Gabriel." Jeanne's sense of protocol finally caught up and she took a knee, clenched fist over heart in traditional Orleans salute.

"It is well that you have found us on your own, now we will not have to search anymore. We might have use for your help in guiding your child, who unfortunately has proved troublesome by defying an order to retreat."

"Lady Gabriel, my loyalty lies with the god as ever. Please let me see El," Jeanne said. "I've never known El to be disobedient, I'm sure I can reason."

"Thank you, Jeanne," Gabriel said. "You might be able to lead El nur the right path. We shall ..."

Gabriel looked up. "Actually, it seems you can just stay right here."

Across the golden water flew a light Jeanne would never mistake for anyone else.

"Mother!"

"El!" Jeanne opened her arms for El to fall into. Holding her child after fearing for so long ne might have died, she found happiness again. All was whole and brimming with power. She cried for joy, and so did El.

Letting go was not easy, but she wanted to have a better look at her child. Ne had grown a little, now looking more like a twelve year old. Gone was the curl in the hair and nur new wings were larger and had the radiance of divinity upon them. She looked at where Azazel had said the scar had been, finding no trace of it.

"I'm so glad you're alright, mother," El said. "How did you escape?"

Jeanne nodded at Nina. "A friend and her friends helped me."

"Nina, you're here too?" El asked.

"Yep! Long story, we escaped together," Nina said. "I'm glad you're okay! We have so much catching up to do!"

"And time you shall have, but leave mother and child to themselves for now," Gabriel said before turning to Nina. "Ninati Navrátil, right? We would like a word with you about your alleged immunity."

"Huh? Oh, sure. Until later!"

Nina left with Gabriel and Sofiel. Jeanne and El sat at the edge of the golden lake, legs dangling.

"After we were separated I did as you said, I followed the one who helped me."

"Azazel?"

"You know him?"

"Somewhat," she said.

"He was awesome, going out all alone to fight for the poor demons. He's a good person," El said. "At least, as long as hell is too weak to corrupt anyone's hearts."

"You weren't short of anything?" she asked, hoping to occupy El with a story that wouldn't involve her talking about imprisonment. Not today, not at the time of their reunion.

"Well, uh ... he rarely touches most people so I didn't get hugs as I did from you," ne said. "But I had a lot of other good stuff. He made more money and brought along stuff from the mansions, so we never starved and I always had new clothes. And a solid roof, but that was cause we lived in this abandoned church just outside the city. He took a while to accept I wasn't going to live with Rita, but once he did he changed the place so I could live there well. He got himself a bed too, can you believe he used to just sleep sitting on a wooden frame? Dragging in a mattress was a chore though cause he was going to drag it through the mud at first, and it looked weird when he tried it on his back, but we got it done. We had a room all the way up in the ruins so no stragglers would bother us.

I started eating a little meat because sometimes in winter I gave away the food I bought and Azazel hunted, so that was all we had. But most of the time we had so much, I could even choose what to eat. He also got some magic food stuff every now and then and I and Rita handed it out in the slums. Only when the right kind of trader came through, but I was able to help out. We combined it with Rita giving out medicine too.

I didn't like the hunting when it hurt though. He can kill really quickly, but I can do it without pain. I showed him this once and after that, he told me about the arena. I went along because there I could use my kiss of death to make things better. They'd be killed anyway, so it was just like I'd take the pain away. I still want to heal though. There are so many people suffering in the slums and Rita can't do miracles and she needs to be paid cause it takes long and she makes medicine. I tried getting her to teach me but she didn't want to. So I just worked in the arena ... "

"What is, it El?"

"I saw him in the arena during the siege, he wouldn't look at me," El said. "I think he's angry that I left him. They put him to fight in the arena, there's nothing he'd hate more."

"I'm sure he's not," she said. "Once you meet again, you'll see."

"You don't think it's strange I know him?"

Jeanne squeezed El's shoulders. "I wouldn't even be here if not for the help of demons. There's a lot that's changed in both of our lives, mine as much as yours."

"And I'm going to make even more lives better. I fixed myself, see?" El spread nur wings and whirled a circle on the golden lake. "They even started shining! I'm also in a better body now. Really, everything's gotten better since I went to heaven, even my powers are improving. Did you know I charmed a unicorn? A real one."

"That's wonderful, El. About that, I've been told you're not a boy?"

"I'm not," El said. " It's a bit confusing, but I like this. I also got a new name. They say I can't be called El because it's like naming a human with the name Human."

"You don't want me to call you El?"

"I like El! But I guess it's really pretentious sounding around here, and weird and all. I also like Mugaro, but ..."

"Do you like being called Jegudiel?"

El shook nur head.

"I can call you Mugaro if you want that," she said.

"No, I'll get used to Jegudiel, really," El said. "Can you control a platform yet? After I'm done with my lessons I'll show you around. I'll probably get detention today though."

"You go to school?"

"It's just meditating and learning about powers and clearing my mind. I wasn't supposed to be distracted but when I sensed you I just had to come. I broke the door by overloading it with magic, so I might get detention for tomorrow too. But it's okay, I got to see you. Please don't be angry I broke the rules?"

"I'm not, El," she said. How could she be after all this? At, she wasn't angry at El. The gods ... well ...

"El, tell me more. I would like to know everything. Of your new friends, life with Azazel, how you met Nina."

El eagerly spoke and Jeanne didn't miss a word, but didn't miss her worries either. First abducting her child, then renaming?

Praying to Michael had already been loaded and now had another layer of complications. Seeking ill judgment of Gabriel now? How to begin?

She ... she didn't actually know how Michael would think of that. It should have occurred to her after getting to know Azazel's loud personality, but the gods were in fact _persons_ not that difficult to grasp. Transcendental beings with more variation she had seen when they all were lined up stars far in the sky speaking with booming voices. She had no idea what kind of a personality Michael had beyond patient and forgiving and distant.

She could no longer learns so herself, but now El's fate was at stake she felt she had to. If Michael had meant her child for this, then ... then what? She'd go along with it, probably, but what else?

 **· · · · · · ·**

How had this not blown up yet? Heaven had to be really short on staff if nobody had come to unhook the hippogryph and clean the carriage yet. The first the open the door was just Jeanne.

"And?" he asked after Jeanne had closed the door.

"El is quite well," she said. "No injuries and healed entirely."

That was both a relief and a hollowing out to him. There wasn't anywhere to head now.

"Where's Nina?"

"The good news is, everyone is too distracted with the revelation that Nina is immune. Qhispe, you are wanted too," Jeanne said to the outside. "The bad news is ... you're blamed for El's failure."

Azazel laughed. "With everything I've done they have to _invent_ something?"

"I don't think it's about you so much as something else. Regardless, I don't think you'll be tolerated even if you did aid my child."

"They'll kill me on the spot whether or not I did anything for Mugaro," he said. "Heaven doesn't have trials and sentences for fallen angels."

"... and you came here knowing this?"

"All I needed to know was Mugaro'ss safety."

"We could have told you that by sending Qhispe back with the news!"

Point, but the waiting time didn't appeal.

Jeanne sighed. "I promised Kaisar I wouldn't let you die."

"You promised him to not let me kill myself. It doesn't count if others do it, so don't worry about your precious Orleans chivalry."

"Do you really want to have this conversation now? You want this to be the scenario where you're discovered and possibly executed on the spot?"

Not really. "How do you want to fix me being in the middle of Vanaheimr?"

"Lord Michael watches over me," she said. "I've never had a direct answer since his death, but El's existence proves he is still around somewhere. Perhaps if I let him guide me—"

"Michael, you hypocritical piece of shit, you don't need explaining which of your own laws can get your favorite killed so get that divine inspiration working for once."

"I mean it," she said. "Back when we escaped the farm, I ended up in a back alley that just happened to have a slave warehouse that happened to have a way in right there."

"I mean it too," Azazel said. "Every word of it. I'd have used bastard, but that's Mugaro. He bet ne takes after you rather than Michael."

Jeanne looked frustrated, but didn't press the issue. Outside, she told Qhispe they'd go around and pretend to be lost while looking for a place for Qhispe to transform.

That went smoothly until some angel caught up to Jeanne. Azazel couldn't hear with the windows closed, so he sent a snake to open the backdoor just a crack.

Oh, that was sourplume Urlain. Great.

"I'm trying to orient myself with the city. You see, Nina had difficult with her transformation. I've been able to help her, but if case she transforms it is best if I know how to quickly reach the edge of the city," Jeanne said. "So I went along with Qhispe's exploring."

"We can provide you with a map easily. Please, your concern is admirable but your journey was long, there is no need to exert yourself," Urlain said.

"I am quite well, truly. I was tended to with great care in Qhispe's village and have no need for further rest. I am a warrior, I memorize best through movement."

Jeanne was not good at deception, at all. Way too stiff. Didn't help she was lying to one of her beloved gods.

Urlain turned on nur heel and went right for the door.

Just barely, Azazel slipped out the backdoor and scampered below the carriage, where he levitated up against the boards. Urlain lingered right above him.

"Dalua Urlain? What is the matter?"

One of the couch shelves was pulled free and clattered on the ground. "I sense demonic energy."

Rustling and more shelves before Urlain stood again.

"Oh, these," Jeanne said. "They must've been left by—"

"Bacchus and Hamsa had allied with demons, but this alone cannot account for what I sense. It's stronger, and ..."

Probably staring at the floorboards now. Maybe he should take his chances flying to the edge of the city.

"Uh, Bacchus might have spilled demon wine on the floorboards? Honestly, I've never met him, I only know him through Favaro and Kaisar's stories. He is _very_ fond of wine."

"Ah. I suppose that makes sense."

Another door opening and the weight in the carriage lessened. When they were moving again Azazel slipped back in after the next corner and stayed still until Jeanne stopped.

Urlain left and they went on without another word. Once they reached a lowered area, Qhispe stopped the carriage.

The sea of cloud stretched behind a circle of lesser islands. At the very edge of the cluster was one he knew quite well. It lay separate from the main cluster a little, was wide and had some of the oldest trees. "Do you see that island just beyond that long cloud bank? I will be there."

He almost flew off, but Jeanne's hand on his arm stopped him. "I'll see about bringing El along soon. In the meantime you should take these. I'm afraid if I keep them they'll be destroyed."

She handed him the bundle of papers that Dante had left. Beyond Belphegor, this was likely all that remained of the rebellion. He wanted to never see the testament of his failure again, but he couldn't dishonor those who had died. So he held them close as he dived into the upper layer of the storm.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"You want me to put that on?" Nina's stomach turned just from looking at the collar.

"We do not currently have any Onyx Knights for you to fight, so we retrieved an ally of us who happens to have these at command," Gabriel said.

The plaza was empty and wide, they expected transformations? Nina had explained she couldn't do fields like El, had expected to fight green magic, not this. But if it helped them figure out how to send her to war ...

She let the collar be placed on her. There was another for Qhispe because they suspected the immunity might be shared.

The human hadn't even been introduced as they were directed to the center of the plaza. On cue, said human began to chant and the familiar, dreadful needles tore into Nina's neck.

Qhispe buckled screaming. Nina remained standing, but had to fight off the transformation. Her teeth sharpened and nails grew despite the light staying close.

When Qhispe convulsed like any demon, Nina yelled, "Stop!"

She wasn't the only one to do so, but the human just went on chanting.

"I said _stop_!" Gabriel repeated.

The pain cut deeper. Nina almost lost her control then. If not Gabriel's voice, that made the human back off.

Qhispe crawled up on her knees, and Gabriel knelt at her side.

"My deepest apologies," Gabriel said. "Lately my troops have been ... stubborn, but I had not expected my human allies to take liberties."

Qhispe coughed. "Clearly."

"Bring that man away. He is not welcome anymore," Gabriel commanded.

Nina picked up Qhispe, who easily fit on her arm. "I'll carry you home, okay?"

Gabriel said, "My apologies once more. We should have accounted for your old age and physical nature."

"That wasn't just old age," Qhispe muttered. "I'm pretty sure the immunity is just something about Ninati."

"I see," Gabriel said. "How interesting."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Below the roots of a gigantic tree lay a network of tunnels, once dug out by a young earth for him and his friends to play in. It wasn't disobedience, they'd told each other, they'd tell they had a dangerous hide out if anyone asked. Nobody thought to ask. Here they played war and practised magic beyond their level. Azazel wondered how many of the kids here had grown up be rebellious. He'd never met any in hell, but then again he didn't keep track of who came and went.

Now the playground lay abandoned. Parts of the roof had collapsed, leaving rays of dim light falling, so he did not bother lighting the old torches. Maybe if Mugaro showed up, but he doubted it would be today.

When Jeanne arrived, she brought along a glowing Nina who was already a few scales and fangs into her transformation. She peaked over Jeanne's head by now and had a hint of horns.

"The old one isn't here?" he asked, because he didn't expect them to answer what had happened to Nina this time either. Must be that same thing as before.

"Qhispe isn't feeling so well," Nina said. "They tested some things on the immunity ... The escort we had has been sent away, but I'm not sure whether they're not keeping an eye on us. What is this place?"

Ah, already some of that useful vigilance, she caught on quick. "An old hideout where I used to play."

"Won't new kids have found it?" Nina asked.

"I doubt it," Azazel said. "Less faith, recent devestation, fair chance of invasion by murderous humans. What few children there are will be kept close to home."

He led them to the center cave, where Nina would fit a few times over.

Jeanne released Nina's energy and rushed back.

Nina's light filled the cave for a fierce moment. The remaining dragon looked around in confusion, found no enemy and and no exist ... so she picked up Azazel. He just resigned to his fate while Nina curled up in a corner and stuffed him between neck and arms.

Jeanne walked up, careful at first in case Nina made sudden movement, but she stayed still. So did those damn snakes growing from his arms without permission, so this wasn't that bad.

"Do you need help?" Jeanne asked.

Azazel sighed. "No. This is just a _thing_ she does."

"Can't you teleport out of it?"

"Her energy interferes," he said. "No idea why."

"Hmm." Jeanne laid a hand on Nina's snout, smiling. "My world keeps getting stranger and stranger, so why not this too?"

"You can pet her, she likes that for some reason," he grumbled. Anything to keep her from laughing at him.

Jeanne took that invitation, climbing on Nina to marvel at her scales. Nina leaned into the touch, but Jeanne was just human and couldn't come close to scratching enough that it mattered. They both gave up pretty soon. Ergo, Jeanne resumed trying to be conversational.

"El won't be able to come any time soon. Gabriel keeps her ... nur ... I might need some time getting used to this. Anyway, they keep an eye on El all the time."

"Mugaro's a dusiu?"

Jeanne nodded. "El told me a lot about you that matches with your stories. I'll admit I had some distrust that was misplaced. One complaint was voiced though : you don't do hugs. Given that you are in fact capable of hugging Nina and not currently losing your mind with touch anxiety, I think you should work on that."

"Nina is an exception by absolute need," he said, bypassing the obvious that he might never meet Mugaro face to face again.

Jeanne went to pick up the bundle, which he'd laid in between dry roots. "May I know what they are?"

"Wishes that Nina had our demons write down. Dante ... never mind."

Jeanne sat on Nina's arm, leaning against her neck. He felt more talking coming and sure, there she went, "I would like to know more about the nature of demons. Can I read them?"

"They weren't for my eyes anyway."

So Jeanne read them, while Azazel struggled to get out of Nina's grip. She stayed a dragon unusually long this time, what was up with that?

Nina's didn't resist as he got out, but gave a pathetic little whine. "I'm not leaving, stop that."

He just climbed on Nina's back and lay there, because truth be said he did want to know what was in the letters. "Well?"

"What?"

"What's in them?"

"Oh, you're taking it strictly by the word? ... well, I can't read all these scripts, but for those that I do ... much is like with us humans. I grew up a peasant in an impoverished area, this is all the time."

What the weaker classes wanted was laxer taxes, or no taxes. They wanted better land to be released for farming and harvesting. They wanted the richest magma for fertilizing emptied grounds, and they wanted collapsed canyons clear and new grounds breached. Overpopulation deal with, new places colonized. They'd figured out transformative magic could heal, knew higher demons had that capacity, but didn't understand how much energy it took. Nobody had bothered telling them either. At least two, one of whom probably Adva, had lengthy complaints about maintenance of the skybeasts. Others had magic that they could never use below the surface and wanted to settle on the surface, if away from humans.

"Azazel, I need to know something : when the chiefs of the tribes gather, do they have to state whether or not they will follow Lucifer?"

"Duh, of course."

"You _don't_ have a centralized government?"

"We do! Lucifer is the lord of all demons now that Belzebuth is dead."

"No, I mean that you appear to have allied tribes, but not a king specifically. Does Lucifer make laws that govern them all?"

Was she mad? "That wouldn't last for centuries. The only reason your stupid human system holds is that nobody lives long enough to get fed up with it or see how it falls apart."

"Oh my gods. For years I've been fighting individual tribes acting up? I thought hell was a unified mass of chaos," she said like it was the biggest revelation. "And Nina's tribe probably isn't the only one that separated from hell, is it? What about heaven? Is it like this too?"

"There's at least a dozen smaller clusters up here," Azazel said. "Vanaheimr is just the leader of their union, like Lucifer once was the leader of what you lot would call the moderate hellfolk."

"I have no what I've been fighting for or against," Jeanne said.

"Unfortunately, same for me."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel had expected Jeanne's arrival to make a difference for El, but it did not. The new routine of heaven went on as before : Gabriel took El to earth to inspire revolt in allied kingdoms, but there were no concrete plans for how to actually deal with Dromos. Word had come in that a demon had taken part of the capital hostage, perhaps Gabriel wanted to see what would happen with that? Sofiel wasn't counciled. At times like this she couldn't believe she ever would be approved as archangel. Did she want to in this scheme? The council of four archangels had smoothly taken control of Vanaheimr after the death of Zeus, preventing a dangerous power vacuum, but it had always been a coalition between the four of them (five once). How much of her past leadership had been the support of the others?

Qhispe, Ninati and Jeanne were given quarters with adjecant rooms and a balcony for the hippogryph to rest, in case Ninati quickly needed to leave the city. Jeanne went to talk with her child every day between lessons and meditation. El tried harder than with others to convince Jeanne that Azazel wasn't that bad right now. Jeanne for her part looked stern, which Sofiel initially had taken as disapproval, but the longer it went on the more it felt like she held something back.

Ninati herself was a problem too. Gabriel fretted on how to apply her immunity. It hadn't reached the public news outright, but the rumor did spread due to Ninati stating it in a public place. It didn't at all mesh with the story of El as the chosen one created by Michael to combat Dromos. It couldn't even be played off as some demonic spirit doing the same, since this hybrid predated the rise of Charioce.

Ninati hung out within the palace walls and sometimes went into the city under escort. Within a day her novelty had gotten her a few aquaintances that might become friends, the rest done by her natural cheer. She didn't go around announcing she was immune at every turn, but did mention it when asked. There were already rumors about how little this made sense and wild speculation on Indra's Web, so Gabriel didn't order her confined. It would just add fuel to the fire.

To Sofiel's surprise though, three days in Ninati was permitted to organize a gathering within the palace walls.

Within an amphitheater under the sky, Ninati had Chiron, Iasis and even Shiva, along with a flock of elves and a few gods not important enough for Sofiel to know their name. Off to the side sat Qhispe with Juturna, Apeliotes and Meliai; respecitvely gods of blessed water, farming and forests. Everyone, even the audience, had been decked out with veils, flowers and other silly knick knacks.

"Nina, do you not have the slightest bit of respect for the gods?" Jeanne asked, pulling the words from Sofiel's mouth.

"Oh relax already!" Qhispe called. "There isn't a single brat here who's even close to half my age. Respect your elder and we're fine, let them have some fun."

"What do you plan to do with this assortment?" Sofiel asked.

"I'm teaching people to dance using only feet! I would've asked Bacchus and Hamsa to join but they're locked up for cooperating with demons, which is _stupid_ because I'm a bit demon too and Qhispe is a demon and the demons are Charioce's enemy, but okay, it will have to do for today."

Ninati threw a purpur robe around Jeanne. "Come, join us."

"Are you sure about this?" Jeanne asked.

"I'm not going to let romance or dancing be ruined for me, so yes, I so am," she said. "Also these people need some fun. Especially you."

Ninati pointed at Sofiel. "You can be the queen, you'll fit right in, act like you're above everyone."

"I am above them," Sofiel said. "By duty and power."

"Fine, we can find a worthier queen," Ninati said, and for some reason Jeanne looked a little dissapointed.

"What story is it?" Jeanne asked.

"It's my own spin on an old tribe legend," Ninati said. "Ancient lore says we will ascend to the great dragon in the sun when the world ends. One story talks of a hero who went early to ask a favor. There's lots of variations, and it's not always the same reason, but there's always the bride whom he can't marry. Sometimes she's cursed, sometimes her father wants proof of worthiness. In most versions the bride sacrificed herself so the prince could survive and rule the kingdom. The hero's quest teaches him a prayer, but in my story it's the bride who ascends, cause while the prince was on his quest she traveled the world to learn how to become fire. Then they lived happily ever after."

"You just rewrote your prophecies?" Sofiel asked. "You have no respect for ancient word?"

Ninati shrugged. "It's not like I'm telling anyone it's true. This is just for fun. We'll have everyone try out all roles and then see who's best for what."

Jeanne got to play the hero on behalf of pulling off knightly solemn faces so well, which Sofiel thought was just her default. Nobody cared whether it was for acting skills though, least of all Ninati. All her choices in the roles had more to do with whom she imagined would be most fun with what part. Ninati was a whirlwind of friendliness and color, easy to interact with and so a good distraction for everyone here, with the lost war so recent. Maybe that was why Gabriel had allowed it?

Sofiel sat by and had to admit she regretted not joining the spectracle, even Jeanne had fun. She also had to admit she watched Jeanne a little more than others. Maybe ...

Maybe she shouldn't lose herself in this, because the sudden presence of Gabriel caught her by surprise. Quickly she stood up, regaining her regal, dissaffected pose.

At the entrance gate stood Gabriel with El next to her on her platform. When Nina spotted them she called out, "Mugaro! You wanted to hear the _Stairway of Fire_ fairytale, right? I'll do one better for you, you can see it and be part of it!"

"I can't, I have to train my powers right now and then I have to go help people on earth," El said. "But I can watch once you finish the play."

"Aww, too bad."

"Mugaro?" Aurora asked.

"Oh, right, that's El's other name, given by Az—" Nina stopped at Jeanne's horrified stare. "Uh, nur adoptive father back on earth. "

This all pinged two things for Sofiel, Ninati knew Azazel, and considered him El's parental figure. If Ninati knew, did Jeanne ...?

"Anyway, let's get back to work!" Ninati said, and the crowd followed.

"See, Jegudiel? This is what ascended demons are like," Gabriel said. "Perhaps a little earthly, but making peace with the gods so easily. None of the gods mind them. If demons were only willing to ascend and leave behind their poisonous darkness, we would have no issue with them."

"What the hell are you talking about? That's not how it works." Ninati planted her hands on her hips. "You'll only make things worse by lying about this."

All the plaza fell quiet. One didn't just accuse the queen of heaven of lying.

But Gabriel just laughed it off. "Of course you don't want to think of your kin as sinful, but you are too young to understand this."

"Nina, let's not make things difficult," Qhispe said.

Ninati hmmphed and went back to work with even more vigor. Sofiel couldn't quite place what she was angry about.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Malphas's ability to construct meant a solid tunnel, but it still took time for her to break through the earth. And no finesse : it was right into the kitchen of the Lidfard home. Shoul've been the garden or cellar.

After the tiles floated down, Belphegor peaked into the dark room with all intent of stealth. Just to find Felicia at the kitchen table with a candle, watching over boiling milk. Before Belphegor could withdraw, Felicia spotted her.

They stared at each other, Belphegor half wondering whether the fog worked here.

"Hello there, Felicia?" she tried.

"Who else? You're _not Belle_ I guess."

"You're also not panicking."

"Oh, I'm so considering that the longer you're looming there."

Malphas looked out of the hole. "This the right place I take it?"

"Yes, though—"

"Whatever, I'm sending the rest in." And Malphas was back down the hole.

"I don't have an agreement yet!" Belphegor called after her, to get no answer.

Mimi and Coco scampered up the hole instead, nosing around. "Smells of the captain here, we're right. Now trace of Favaro though, ruff!" And they were gone too, except into the upper ring.

Felicia looked more sour than afraid now. Around the corner of the door, Tasro peaked.

"You're still here?" Belphegor asked, and the child nodded.

"I'm not kicking out a child," Felicia said. "Even if it's a demon, which I will have to say you two were careless about hiding. Really careless."

"You knew."

"I didn't suspect anything at first," Felicia said. "Mister Lidfard has always been a firm supporter of order and the kingdom. But then he started being bizarrely insistent about me not wearing the anti dote cloth inside the house. I wouldn't bother anyway, no point. So why insist? I considered turning you in, but thought maybe you had just cast some love charm and didn't want to doom the captain for that. Then you brought in the child. Then you had that experiment. Then you left alone. It didn't add up to a love charm ... so, what does it add up to?"

"Before, it was nearly being stomped to death by an automaton, knightly chivalry and I suspect feeling a little bad about kidnapping me that one time." She shrugged. "And this time, I hoped to see whether Kaisar's blooming chivalry extends to smuggling food and medicine into the barrier. The one who cast that is our enemy so we went by tunnel."

"Oh my ... well, I'm afraid you won't catch Kaisar here. He hasn't been home since he joined the Onyx Knights."

"He _what_?"

Before she got an answer, Belphegor was pushed out of the hole. As she rolled back on her feet, Dietlinde climbed out.

"Ooh, nice place," she said. "Where's the boss?"

"And you would be?" Felicia asked.

"Right now, the home manager of the next demon rebellion. Somehow. My former employer was already into smuggling to buy demons for medical experiments, which is a no no if you plan to use the parts on humans, but if I cared for the law I would've reported them already. I just want a steady income and no trouble, and thanks to these assholes, I have nothing but trouble." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "But I'm fine. I'm managing. I'm going to not be eaten, so if I have to smuggle food for demons so be it. What's your excuse?"

Wary, Felicia stood up to shake Dietlinde'd hand. "I suppose mine might be that my father is part of the Sacred Circle movement and I'm suspecting my boss is involved in something too."

Belphegor perked up. "Really?"

"It's nothing big, a lot of people are. It's just a bunch of protesting organized by Cluysenaar, but they're in the charity business. They've got silly ideals about reinstalling the old system of divinely approved kings, so I never got involved much, but ... hmm, if Jeanne d'Arc is truly alive and opposing the king ... do you know where she is?"

"Unfortunately, no, but perhaps I should get in touch with this Sacred Circle. First matters first though : should I assume you our ally?"

"Well, I'm not going to fight or anything, but I wouldn't mind passing some food along. And you can set up another weird tech workplace if you want to."

Belphegor smiled, almost said no to that last one, but considered that this place wasn't supervised by Olivia. "That would all be more helpful, for me, and I suspect Jeanne d'Arc if she ever returns to the city."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Visiting hours. They gave her visiting hours for her own child.

El was always occupied with meditation this, training that, and she didn't even get to be there. Visits were arranged in nice scenery, but with route, food and time all planned out. There were usually gods around, making the topic of their secret guest a problem.

Perhaps she was a little fed up with it, but she did something not so noble : she asked Nina to provide a distraction so she could talk with El in private.

Chosen time was when Jeanne and El were set to wander a park, full of sages and philosophers who El was supposed to find inspirational. Nina found the smuggest face and picked a verbal with vun. It got loud, it got all the guards involved, Nina made sure to growl a little, and even calm Sofiel had to focus on it.

Jeanne and El wandered off to the other side of the lake, well into the bright sun where Jeanne felt nobody might be sitting behind trees to listen.

"El, what was this about purifying demons?"

"Oh, they say that I got too close to the demons and that's why my power wasn't strong enough," El said. "If hell becomes stronger again, the power of darkness will rise. I'm really worried what will happen when we win and all the demons go back and restore it, cause it's going to make them evil again."

"If it's currently not corrupting the demons from hell, how would it be corrupting your power?" Jeanne asked. "Even after you rid yourself of the black blood?"

El shrugged. "I don't know, but there's got to be a reason I'm not winning, right? Also why Azazel's not so bad anymore? You should see the walls of all the evil he did, but the only new on it is killing really bad people."

"I do not know enough of your magic to tell what your limits and potential is, but I am certain that you cannot use Azazel as proof for anything. Whatever changes he underwent must've been from experience, not magic. I know because ... " Jeanne pulled El closer. As El fell into the embrace, she whispered next to nur ears, " ... he was with us the entire way to heaven. Will you come see him? We can tell you more about magic, and he misses you."

"Really? He's here?" El lit up to match the years before tragedy.

"Yes, and I've spent some time with him. It was ... engaging, and gave me a new perspective. He's in the forest."

"Oh, they don't let me wander. Or anyone near technology," ne said. "But we can go to the plaza, just bring him there! I'll explain to everyone who's coming."

"No." Jeanne took El by the shoulders and looked nur sharp in the eyes. "No, you cannot tell anyone he is here. It's not safe."

"I'm really, really important, they'll have to listen to me. If they don't, I'll try blowing up more equipment."

What on earth and heaven above was going on with her child?

Alright, think.

"Azazel joined with an angel during the assasination attempt, right?"

"Yes, he and Sofiel teamed up just before she took me to heaven."

"She _took_ you. You did not leave voluntarily?"

"No way, the battle was still happening! Oh, do you know whether anyone else got away?"

"A few did, but we need to stay on topic. The gods in charge will not care what you want, and if even Sofiel does not feel she can tell anyone Azazel and she cooperated it is because she does not feel safe doing so. You cannot tell anyone Azazel is here or we will be in trouble. Do you understand?" The words sounded so certain in her own mouth, but she couldn't shake the absurdity of it.

"Okay ... is he going too dark or something?"

"No, that has nothing to do with this." She ought to go on and explain what she knew of possession, had mentally steeled herself for this, only to find herself reeling yet again. She would have to tell her child that she had killed nur father. "Dark magic isn't the problem, I know because of my past experiences. It's ... "

Once again, she had no foundation to begin from. Who would?

"The gods have much more experience than you," El said. "None of the world makes sense, even before Charioce. Maybe it _needed_ to be torn down and that's why Charioce was born. I was born to save the world, _the entire world_ , don't you see? Not just us and the humans from Charioce, but the demons as well. Maybe I ended up in Azazel's care so I would have the best way to prove what path the world must take. So tell him to come to me, and I will show the world we can all come to the light."

With that, El walked away resolutely, leaving Jeanne rather lost. She sat down on a bench, watching Nina. She argued with a whole crowd by now. After a while it dispersed, frustrated. She couldn't tell who had won.

Nina stomped through the shallow lake to join Jeanne. "That was even worse than Gabriel, I can't believe it!" she said as she dropped on the bench.

Jeanne had a lifetime of script on how to respond to thatkind of blasphemy, but had firmly run out of steam to act on it.

"I think that stuff Gabriel and Sofiel is saying is like, not new here, but it's new that they're taking it so literal," Nina said. "That innuw was really happy about it cause ve thinks it's finally going the right direction. Ve was half into advocating genocide."

"El is entirely wrapped up in this too," Jeanne said. "Heaven is supposed to by my eternal ally, but I'm not sure where they're taking this."

"Yeah, how are we going to ally them with the demons if they think they're just gonna betray them by default?"

"You thinkg an alliance is even possible at this point? All we managed during Bahamut was raising a shield together, it's different from organizing an army and supplanting a kingdom. And what will happen afterward?"

"We should at least sort that out. Some gods already worry about that too, but they don't act!" Nina growled. "You should do something, you're good at leading people."

"That was only those whose faith led them to admire divinity."

"Pretty sure you're wrong, but you do have that leverage too. Use it. Whatever way we get there will do. _This_ ," she gestured at the city. "Isn't going anywhere on its own."

"Nina, even if they're not perfect they're better than any other option against Charioce. We should leave this to the gods, they are far more qualified to handle warfare. You don't need to start a rebellion here," Jeanne said."

"Mugaro's believing nonsense now, so ne isn't getting things going the right way. We can. Come now, you once said you would do whatever good you still could do, even if you couldn't atone. Well, you don't have to atone, but there's lots of lives to save anyway and the gods don't care for most of them. So why are you not doing planning to do more?"

Jeanne lowered her face. The guilt had no point being around, but was eager to jump back. If she hadn't defied the gods back then, she wouldn't want to start now, did she?

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus and her girls had holed out a nice new home in the slums, as far as one could do that. Which wasn't much at all. This really was deplorable, actually. All this dust. If Olivia's hobby was inspiring hate with minimal effort, she deserved an award just for sitting in a place.

Borashne's estimations of the future were more sunshine. Assuming Charioce didn't go for a full out attack, food would run out soon enough; Charioce had already shut down all supply roads. Freed slaves were binge eating, more than a few dropped dead from that, and in time some might just eat humans. Olivia did nothing to stop this. Didn't she see she played right into Charioce's needs?

Charioce had his own people enslaved on that island, left to be murdered with the unsealing of that weapon. Innocent Jeanne probably wasn't an exception. He also killed his staff for minor errors every now and then. How long until he'd decide the sacrifice of the hostages was worth restoring his image of absolute power? After that, he'd have a carnage to show the rest of his citizens to the point they'd put up with whatever he did.

The newly freed demons had splintered into factions : those willing to go all out on the humans, those who just wanted to have a life, and a group around Belphegor who were more or less the offshoot of the old rebellion, now cooperating with humans aiming at taking Charioce down. Olivia didn't seem to make plans in that direction, but she was gathering all the strongest demons, while Belphegor pulled together the idealistic scraps.

And now Belphegor came down the elevator with yet another batch of sickly people that she didn't know how to take care of. As usual, her squad went off with them while she dived off somewhere on errands.

This time, Cerberus teleported up to them. Belphegor was already gone.

"You're _not_ making this easier, you know. Do you even have a plan where to put them?" Cerberus said, gesturing at the cart. "Did she when she dumped you here, Adva?"

Adva and the restof them just shrugged. "She just told us what areas to avoid. It's not like we have much going on here."

Cerberus groaned. "Yes, we actually do. There's districts here governed by gangs. I just finished beating up a stubborn ass who didn't take my authority and I'm gonna have to keep doing that for a while. Ugh ... where'd she go?"

"Fetching some more of her tools," Adva said. "She's smuggling them somewhere."

Cerberus went after her, finding her doing exactly that. Bits and pieces hidden into her coat, she clearly didn't want to be seen outside with it.

"What the hell are you doing, wasting your time with that?"

"I've got the time, I'm a scientist," Belphegor said. "I have to make that count."

"Then get better at other stuff," Cerberus snarled. "And quit dumping sick people in my new territory."

"I don't know how!" Belphegor hissed. "I really don't know. A few weeks ago I thought I'd be a second in command to Dante, but I never even got time to become good at that. And now have an interal explosion coming up, food shortages and not even Rita is around. I can't learn to be a doctor too!"

Okay, fair point. Should she just kill off the trouble makers? Nah, would alienate Belphegor. She might need her as an ally.

"Fine, I'll just go grab a doctor," she said. "If you set up an infirmary in the tunnels, got it? I'll send Malphas to hole out something, but you do the rest."

"I'll try."

Cerberus already had her private doctor conviscated, but Olivia only knew about the guild ones and she wasn't getting anymore of Cerberus's stuff.

So Belphegor could get another doctor and figure the rest out herself. Cerberus teleported into the new red light district with ease. Mimi and Coco had already scooped out the new formation as a matter of principle, and the location Cerberus aimed for wasn't so far from her old home. Still far enough to avoid being sensed by Olivia; some gods had that potential.

Olivia had raided the doctor's guild and tracked down every member, leaving the entire city devoid of health care. Any new doctor who arrived was subsequently taken, and there were rumors she had even those from the palace. That implied some hefty teleportation skills and energy. Worth being stealthy over.

The doctors were kept in a cellar with a few measly guards. Them being just humans, that was enough, but Cerberus could just teleport past those.

The cellar reeked of rot; a few of the doctors had already died and their corpses were left.

"Who's the boss?" Cerberus asked.

It got a wave of whimpering and pleading out of which she picked up nothing useful. She hauled the nearest doctor up by the collar. "I just need a good doctor and am assuming the boss is the best, but if I can't figure that out I'll start being not nice about testing. I might make multiple excursions here if I am dissatisfied, so why not tell me right what my best chances are, hmm?"

"Oagburg ... that one ..." The man pointed at an unremarkable figure at the back. "Doctor Oagburg is the one who usually handled public and supernatural relations. He probably knows the most about magical patients."

Good enough. Cerberus dropped the current human, grabbed the Oagburg guy and teleported away.

Really, really easily. She'd tuned in on a spot within an attic she knew, expecting the cargo to drain her, but it didn't. Risking a longer jump three houses further likewise worked just fine. The third one she aimed right into her home in the slums.

And she got there too.

What the hell. She hadn't been able to teleport so well since the fall of hell.

She followed the scent of Belphegor and Durahanem, finding them pretty soon.

"Everyone, meet Oagburg, an old friend of Rita, am I right?" She shoved the human at them. "Get him fed and functional, I'm not bringing him colleages."

Not anytime soon, anyway. She was going to experiment a bit with the pleasant surprise that the local magic turned out to be. Hell's power was either on the rise, or had never gone away.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Mugaro couldn't come," Nina said. "Gabriel keeps a really close eye on nur. But guess what? I got you cake!"

"I don't—"

"Want cake. Sure. Just like duck Jeanne was an example of being _inconspicious_." Nina unwrapped the cake to show off in a ray of sunlight. "And I'm sure this cake will _inconspiciously_ vanish too."

That got her a typical Azazel glare, nothing to worry about.

"Where is Jeanne anyway?"

"I came on my own," she said. "Jeanne went with Urlain and Reinier to talk about something spiritual."

She pushed the cake at hime; lavender with chocolate lines across it. "Are you going to color coordinate everything you give me?"

"Yes!"

"Hmmph."

Azazel was usually a neat eater but this, oh my. He could rival a young dragon.

"Ambrosia next time," he muttered while scraping the last bits out of the package.

"Of course. I'll make it _Inconspicious_ Ambrosia. In the meantime, teach me how to fly!"

Azazel stopped chewing. "Mwhut?"

"I was thinking during our game with the kids it's be much better if we could fly and have hands at the same time. And the we did pact magic. Favaro has a tail from a pact, right? It should be easier with me since I already got a shape with wings. In dragon form my wings are too small, but they should be fine for this form."

"What, I'm the dispenser of magic now?"

"You helped Jeanne!"

"Her sinner shit annoyed me."

"I promise I can be as annoying as I have to be, so teach me how to fly!"

"I've never given anyone wings before."

"We'll figure it out, just like the potion! Except this time you're getting paid with inconspicious mystery substance rather than souls or whatever you got before."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're horrible."

"Thanks!"

Nina sought out a root that stuck out and was thick enough for her to sit on and leave room for wings. Since she'd gotten her current dress from a shop Sofiel frequented, it had an open back. That was about as far as she had ideas. "So now what?"

Azazel dragged his feet but did follow.

"The seat of the soul is behind the eyes." His hand stopped before her forehead. "... I have not pacted like this before."

His black hand might as well be blades, and his white hand still had pointed purple fingernails."Let me guess, you used to just cut people. That's so tacky."

"It looks weird if I bend my finger up, okay."

"Still tacky."

"Oh shut it."

She pressed her lips together and waited until he had his finger on her forehead to whisper, " _Tacky_."

His hand dropped. "I'm trying to concentrate!"

Nina chuckled, turned over his hand and set the back of his fingers against her forehead.

"Hmmph," was all he said because he couldn't deny this did solve his objections to silliness.

This pact magic moved differently than the potion. Rather than strike a link directly to Azazel's power, it brought a sense of existing above gaping canyon ready to fall, balancing only on an updraft of power. Nina reached out, taking root within that force.

The pact's completion lingered and Azazel asked, "Anything shape shifty going on?"

Nina shook her head.

"I'm trying to push a template, but your inhuman heritage gets in the way. You have to boost the transformation yourself before the pact is sealed."

"Uh ... let me try ... "

Azazel walked behind her, setting his hands lightly on her upper back. "Try pushing your energy here."

The pulse that sent her into dragonhood had slowed on the island most steeply, starting with Jeanne's trick. The triggers themselves hadn't changed beyond one lessening. That one ... it wasn't the attraction, it was the associated feeling that got kindled. Now her transformation could cool down and she knew, felt what caused it, she could connect the feelings to the facts.

They'd stood on the boardwalk, he was a friend dropping by to say hello. She'd been in the middle of a chore, dropped her basket, heard her father run up ...

Later moments flitted by, of screams and of blood that smelled too familiar. Tears threatened to escape, she was glad Azazel couldn't see.

It was slower than the previous time. Maybe she shouldn't think about her father too often lest it run out as a trigger, but then again, being stabbed was actually the more pleasant.

The light flared up and only weakly pulled her into the nothingness between transformations, she cut it off. All her focus went to where Azazel's hands lay on her back and her throat, which scaled over in part.

Her skin felt like tearing before it turned smoother, more ticklish as bones and flesh knit together. Azazel's hands stayed on the fingered joint, pulling along her own magic until they were as wide as his own. Peaking over her shoulder, he looked so focused he'd stretched his own wings out as well, while the sickly snakes from his arms were gone for a moment.

The pink glow remained around her as she stretched her wings up and down, expecting to sense some kind of magical pushing below it. All she got was toppling ahead, and she didn't even manage to turn it into a roll.

" _Ouch_."

"Keep them forward," Azazel said.

Easier said than done. Having wings like this didn't belong, giving a constant little sense of wrong itching at her which she had to push through with every motion. Holding at a root she stood up, pushed to a freer space and tried curled her wings forward.

Aaaand she didn't fall on her face again, just crunched the wings on the ground.

"Oh for the love of chaos." Azazel put her on her feet and folded her wings to her sides. "Keep the weight at your sides all the time."

She clenched the wings as small as she could and balanced on his arm. Okay, that work.

Once she could stand still, next up was air. If she had floating magic there was no way to tell yet, so she'd have to beat her wings.

Which got her nowhere.

"Try throwing magic? Like when you had to break rock."

Thinking of that way actually helped, though she'd compare it to swimming more. Next problem was, she absolutely no idea how much, in what direction, and when. It led to more intimate encounters with the every angle of the rooty cave, with gifts of bruises. Scales started to grow all over her. Maybe that wasn't so bad.

Azazel did think it was, because he declared it was time to just learn to float and nothing else. Nina disagreed some more, because she'd never learned anything by standing still. And promptly got another bruise.

"Goddamit, Nina, how do you think angels learn to fly? You have to start like a child."

"You know, I'm pretty sure I flew a little when I was small."

"Well, it's not showing." He held out a hand for her to lean on. "Don't try anything else but moving your wings to keep your head steady."

She did so slow at first, until the magic kicked in to make her weigh less.

Azazel raised his hand, and she raised herself along, beating her wings in rhythm with the pulse of power.

Even when she let go one hand, she remained at balance. She risked giving a thumbs up, grinning. It had her wobble a little bit not crash.

"Great, I won't have to carry you next time we jump off heaven," he said lightly.

Azazel ought to smile like that more often. She'd almost said it was for the next rebellion rather than escape, but didn't. He'd just fly off again. Not that she wouldn't bring it up later, in time. Azazel without trying to free his people was eerie, almost misfit like her own wings in this form.

Once she returned to the lush outside, she left behind more than just darkness and a demon.

It really was over. That had been hours in the company of an attractive guy and nothing about that rushed her into being a dragon. It would've made her happy once, when she didn't need the dragon so badly.

She closed her eyes and thought of her best memories of her father, letting the pink flames that she'd held back all along wash over her. Guiding them away didn't take so much effort anymore, either because the pulse wasn't so bad or because she got used to the technique. If she could control that difference, maybe she'd be closer to controlling it, but not yet. Another thing to tackle.

Right now she just wanted to let go. Scales covered her, the pulse rose and slipped into the light.

When she came to, the meadow was crashed but the trees stood. Nothing had burned and the sky still the same. Her clothes were gone, so were the bruises. She huddled between the roots and watched the stars until her clothes were back and then some, because she had to be sure to return when most stable. If she got things more under control, it's be a good surprise. If not, nobody needed to know about this.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The bell in the upper room rang and Belphegor was on her feet at once. Felicia and Tasro had agreed to ring whenever anyone came through the hole, and she'd be there.

Usually this meant demons trying to check on food delivery (or steal), Cerberus's dogs or someone trying in vain to win information on friends and relatives sold in this part of the city. This time, the bell rang thrice, meaning her special guest had arrived. Belphegor grabbed one of her shiny rock cannisters on the way down.

In the kitchen Trismegistus dusted herself off and was about to slip out.

Belphegor took her by the shoulders and steer her towards the stairs. "Aaah, Tris, you're here. Finally! Let me hire you and your alchemy."

"Oh no, I'm getting out of this city." Trismegistus as she stopped in her track. "All I needed was my immortality secured, I'm done helping anyone unless Azazel makes himself a problem."

"I can give you a better pact," Belphegor said.

"You've painted a target on yourself both for Olivia and Charioce and then where will my immortality be?"

Belphegor held up the cannister, flipping it open to reveal the new zommorod inside. "We're at a scientific breakthrough the likes the world has never seen before, concerning material of origins I am almost certain are otherworldly. Are you sure you don't want to know?"

Trismegistus pulled a disgused face at the canister, or herself, and snatched it. Disdainful she prodded the rock with a needle she hadn't had just before. Belphegor had surrounded the rock with organic wires, which the gem tried to latch onto. Trismegistus had an unsuccessful time trying to not look interested.

"Damn me and my curiosity," she whispered before heading up the stairs. "Okay, tell me what you know about imago."

 **· · · · · · ·**

The wall made a lovely dust cloud as it collapsed under undead dragon weight, leaving Merlin to run out of the way. She stopped at Rita's table at the other end of the courtyard, and no doubt would have chewed her ears off if not for the coughing fit.

"You're pathetic at this," Rita said slowly. "I can not believe that you have demonic heritage _and_ are an older sorcerer than I am."

Merlin was supposed to be controlling that undead dragon, which Rita had installed two dozen sabotaging elements on, like slow muscle coordination and little magic energy and entirely too much spells that got the rotten worm filled kind of zombie. One of its ears had been replaced with stench blobs so it could hear her verbals order less, and of course Rita pretended there was no such thing as mind controlling hordes through a focus point; Merlin didn't know of her umbrella.

"The magic of life and death is new to me," Merlin said through gritted teeth. "I wish you would treat this as matter of an inexperienced student. I am not averse to my limits, but I resent when you expect more of me than I can deliver."

"I understand that," Rita said. "I just don't care."

"You _should_ care, given your precarious position."

"I've been threatened with death so much I'm starting to wonder whether this court even understands the concept of a _zombie_."

"There are things worse than death," Merlin said. "If you do not cooperate, I might just consider figuring out how to send you to the void."

Rita raised an eyebrow, only mildly interested.

"That's where our souls go when we are sealed by a bounty hunter bracelet. It holds _nothingness_. The longer of nothing, the more it breaks you. Maybe we would find out that way whether you're truly so stoic, or just have a dead face," Merlin said.

Rita clapped twice. "I'll admit that's more novel than the usual threats I've been getting."

"I'm not joking," Merlin said. "The more you show me contempt, the more I want to prove it to you, traitor of mankind."

Rita gave Merlin her deadest stare.

Merlin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Enough of you. Enough of _this_ dragon."

She marched into the castle using the wrong door to be headed to her room. She'd been doing that a lot yesterday and today, enough that Rita now made a point of checking what she did.

Rita tapped her foot on the ground, igniting the energy exchange with hell to power her little eavesdropper, an undead mouse. One of many dead things she'd started claiming since moving here.

Vision circles were divine magic and she had no way to just recreate their recording method, but she had figured out how to link the hearing of an undead mouse to an ichor variant of sound; a little magical variant of a string between metal bowls. Oh, she was going to miss having ichor available once she got out of here. Anyone watching her would just see her leaning her head on her ear, where she hid a warped tremor box.

Merlin opened a summoning circle as she was wont to do, recognizable by sound. The voice that greeted her belonged to Lao. Oh, he'd been gone?

"I take it you bring me foul news?"

"Unfortunately, yes. The reason Nina got out the castle is because Azazel and Jeanne d'Arc were able to summon her. Now they've gone to heaven with Qhispe, trying to find Jeanne's child."

"In other words, heaven is about to have not one but two hybrids with an immunity." Merlin sighed. "Wonderful, especially on top of the king's secret project."

"So secret I can't be told?"

"Yes, but I'll let you know I am having some second thoughts."

"What could possibly make you reconsider your alliance with that demon?"

Merlin snorted. "Not at all. Azazel can rot, but that does not mean I must serve _this_ specific king. Hubris had taken many a great king when they aspire to overthrow enermies too great. So Charioce does. Greater than your kind. Honestly, I have not always been fate's friend, but if he is the chosen one then fate has no heart. We need to move Dromos."

Lao frowned. "Why that all of a sudden?"

"Secrets I'm afraid of and cannot change unless I sway the king. I doubt anyone can."

"Except for one. She could make it better if she just joined him. He's already making exceptions for her, if she was at our side she could get him to make more," Lao said. "Are you sure you can't make love potions?"

"I suspect Charioce would notice if she were mind controlled and he would not like the changes. No, I want to focus on moving Dromos to a less harmful location."

Their further speculation contained nothing noteworthy and Rita only half listen out of diligence. Her thoughts were with the suggestion of a greater game. Fate was at work again, Nina's off the side date was the king, Merlin had doubts and Jeanne might just be back in the game. Azazel? Who knew.

Rita wasn't in a hurry to escape as long as Charioce had a hold on Kaisar, not to mention the experiments she now had available to her, but it did begin to sound she should lay some groundwork for a break out much sooner, if there was a secret that worried even Merlin.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel was in the middle of sealing a line of scrolls with orders when the window crashed onto her floor. Over the colorful shards was a small shadow that led to someone clinging to the outside of the window.

"And you are doing _what exactly_ , Ninati Navrátil?"

Ninati climbed in, surrounded by pink light. Her wings appeared more like a leak than part of her body. "So sorry for the window. I wanted to talk to you but I didn't know how to get here so I figured why not fly? But I'm having some trouble with how there's all this extra _direction_ now."

Sofiel stood up with a sigh. "I am glad that Jeanne was able to help you further ..."

"Yeah, sort of? I'm doing most of it myself by now. She can't fly." Something felt wrong about that statement. There was aid for the woman, but not Jeanne?

"Regardless, the reason you would be unable to come here is because this is restricted area. Perhaps you do not understand, but I am in line to be one of the four rulers of heaven itself. I have attendands in place to manage lesser affairs because my time is precious. Did you not see the signs?"

"Oh, that's what those meant. I can't read them. Anyway, I had a very important question. How about I clean the glass and you talk to me while I do that?"

"I have servants for that too." And she'd have to check how much windows got broken before Ninati found the right office without reading the signs.

"No need to bother them." Ninati was already pulled a decorative curtain off a pillar to wipe the shards together.

Sofiel sat back down. "Alright, what was your question?"

"I just really need to figure out some ... uhm, heart related things. You can tell stuff about people's bonds, right?"

"Who told you that?" Gabriel knew she had a slight talent for this, but who else?

"I met this nice ... what's the word? Innu? Ve wanted to be called Mageda something and told me you can sense that." Ninati finished pulling the curtain together, most of the shards in it, before she looked up. "This is important : am I in love?"

 _That_ was the important thing? Maybe someone had told her demons cannot love? "You love great many people, how can you not know?"

"Oh, I know I love my friends and family. I mean lovers. You know, in love?" When Sofiel just frowned in confusion, Ninati added, "I guess you guys don't talk like on earth. In love is what we say when we mean having romantic feelings for someone."

"I cannot discern such a degree of detail," Sofiel said.

"Really? Aurora says she sees hope like stars above people and yours was unique enough to point out your office. I thought you could do something like that but with bonds."

"I do not see what I discern. It is merely an instinct."

Ninati began gathering pieces of shard she'd missed, her hands uncut because the skin had hardened into reddish thickness. "What if I talk about someone? Like, I met a man who was everything I wanted : safe, charming, allowing me to forget the worst of life, he even was into dancing ..."

Sofiel listened to her chatter about nothings of life on earth. Now made to focus on this, she found knowledge she couldn't quite place. Poison, sugar ...

Despite her schedule and work — Gabriel would be displeased if she wasn't one time or delegated — Sofiel began asking Nina questions, and tying guesses to impressions that Nina could confirm or deny. Jeanne was easiest since Sofiel had met her already, there was an open connection. She knew El too under the name Mugaro. What a strange coincidence. Bacchus and Hamsa at least could be explained by her bounty hunting, but Sofiel had assumed Jeanne and El must've known Nina from before her imprisonment.

The man she wanted to know about was the worst to decipher her feelings about, because Nina didn't know herself. The more Sofiel focused, the more pressure built up, like a thousand weights lay atop her and it was her job to hold it all above the sea. All throughout, Nina sounded like she had when organizing the dance group and nothing more serious.

"And? Was that enough?"

Samples of dancing in the night and arms around her shoulders and other trivialities blurred together around a dark hole.

"I think you are in romance ... but there's something missing ... you're not telling me something."

Nina laughed nervously. "Okay, thank you. Great. Anyway, we don't call it _in romance_. The language difference must also be why I haven't been able to find the charity. I bet it's called something else here too, cause everyone gives me odd looks when I ask about it."

"The what now?"

"You know, a charity? Back at Anatae, Mugaro did this thing with Rita and Azazel's help to give the people in the slums food. Azazel always got these little round things that turned to breads when in warm water, but we handed it out cause he's a social wreck. Didn't Mugaro tell you anything like that?"

"We call that _generosity to earth_." Nina had been hanging out with El and Azazel ... giving food to the starving?

"I know it's really dangerous down there and all, but you guys have so much food, I bet we can work out a way to feed people. In fact, Qhispe's divine friends do harvest and water stuff, right?"

"The humans don't need—"

"Plenty of humans who do, but the _demons_ even more so," Nina said.

A proper god would have a lecture ready for this insolent halfbreed, but Ninati dropped the shards on Sofiel's desk with more force than needed.

"You know, I bet Bacchus and Hamsa would've told you what they tried to help with if only you weren't so anti earth people. Oh well, everything takes time. Let us know when you're going to be more helpful, we can use all the hands we can get." Ninati didn't even say proper goodbye before jumping out the window.

Sofiel sat there thinking for a long time.

 **· · · · · · ·**

When Gabriel asked her to accompany a mission to earth, the only possible answer was yes.

It wasn't for the good of the people, it turned out. The pope of Rogreshia was a distant aquaintance of years ago, who had expressed curiosity to here whereabouts. She spent an hour or so catching up with him, which she once would have appreciated more in holier days. Now she itched to join El outside, who was to go around the city to dismantle the power of Dromos, then win the favor of the people. Samples of heaven's fruit were to be handed out today too.

The plaza before the cathedral was packed. Gods of various natures stood by, giving their blessings. Near El was a small ruckus concerning a woman with a bleeding arm, who had apparently just been shoved to the pavement by someone else.

Jeanne sided up to El and said, "El, the way you healed yourself should work on others too. Why not try it?"

There was El the way ne ought to be, eager to be of aid. Ne took the woman's hand and brushed nur hand over the wound. Rather than nur red eye, the blue shone as the wound closed.

Word of El's power rushed through the crowd, and within no time people starting bringing in their sick and dying.

Jeanne wished she could truly see what El did, deeper than the light. This power felt so different from the red one. It compelled the wound to knit together swiftly, and without knocking El out, though nur was tired a little.

El didn't pause to help, only to discover nur's limits : wounds and blisters were easy, malformed bones less so, and certain illnesses were untouched altogether. It disappointed the crowd who had expected a perfect miracle every time. Jeanne could imagine how it felt for El to be met with disappointed, and worse for anyone who had to go home with broken hope.

Worst came when an old woman hobbled up, supporting a demon at her side. One who wore a collar, but the gemstone had been removed. Both wore the same raggy clothing, and had the familiarity usually only seen between humans. Jeanne was glad to see a human who had bypassed prejudice and met them halfway when they hesitated to approach.

"Hello, my name is Jeanne d'Arc. Which one of you requires healing?"

"He does," the old woman said. "I know it must sound strange, but he is a good friend of mine. He's had a beating not too long ago and the wounds infected ... we're not sure whether ... but we thought we'd try ..."

Jeanne took the demon by the other arm. "We won't know if we don't find out."

She helped them walk closer, ignoring the stares and angered mutters.

"El? Come over here for a moment," Jeanne said.

El did so, followed by Urlain. When ne saw who Jeanne brought in, ne hesitated. "Will it work on demons?"

"Nonsense," Urlain said.

"Pardon my tone, dalua Urlain, but I do have more experience with physical injury and magic than you," Jeanne said. "El, give it a try. It should not be too different."

El was about to go ahead, Urlain about to inferfere ... when El stopped nurself.

"I'll probably just do damage," El said, voice shaking a little. "I haven't tried purification yet and without that the powers will just clash."

"I see ... " the old woman muttered, already standing to usher the demon along. Neither of them looked up as they retreated under the sneers of the crowd. Jeanne could no bear to see them go like that, but didn't know what to do about it. Chastise El? Chastise the gods?

Urlain led El to the next group and gave an order for the guards to keep their eyes open, they didn't want another scene. It gave Jeanne a moment to grab a food bundle and slip away.

She went down the street the duo had disappeared into, but couldn't find them. There were human beggars though and she handed one the bundle while urging the others to follow her back. That much she could do without the gods objecting, at least.

She understood their concerns about demons, but El? El hesitating to help wasn't normal. A low anger remained with her for the rest of the mission, and wouldn't go away even as they returned to heaven.

Nina waited in their guest quarter's hall ready to bound up, but she slowed when she caught onto Jeanne's mood. "What happened?"

"Nothing, and that's the problem."

Nina didn't at all like what she was told.

"We need to save Mugaro, this is ridiculous! Right? Do something about it, they won't listen to me."

"I am only a human, and they are still the gods."

"There's something wrong with the gods if they make Mugaro not help people."

"The only time I didn't trust the gods turned out to be wrong," Jeanne said. "Nina, you don't have years of faith in the gods. My servitude to the gods is my entire life. They are supposed to be the wise leaders of us sinful humans, yet now they turn out to be so ... so ... like humans. And I can't trust them to lead my child?"

"There was a time I decided to trust Chris," Nina said. "And you know how that turned out."

"That is not the same!" Jeanne snapped, walking past her. "Whatever the gods my do wrong, they are not on the level of _him_!"

Taken aback, Nina muttered, "Sorry. You're right."

Jeanne regretted her tone after a few paces, but when she turned back to Nina she was already gone.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel was extremely busy with counting the roots, so Nina barging in with her shouty, "Azazel!" was beyond annoying. It was that tone where she wanted something and wouldn't stop till she got it too.

He stayed right where he was, holed up in a high dark spot, but she found him anyway.

"We need to talk now."

"No we don't."

Nina crossed her arms and sat down in the middle of the path out. "Yes, we incredibly do. They've told Mugaro about your past, ne's not sure what to think of you now, and dammit, I don't know what to say either."

"Nothing needs to be said."

"Hnnggghgh! Gabriel's going on and on about some grand destiny but she isn't even thinking about the demons and convinced Mugaro that freeing them would be bad. And I don't know what to tell Mugaro because what Gabriel says about you is true. That was your wall where you got those pacted allies, right? Azazel, you've done so much hideous things." Nina's wings flared out, almost seamless in emergance now. "It's been long enough, I need this answer now. What would you have done to Anatae if we had won that day?"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"I will _find_ a way we can do something against Charioce," she said. "And someone has to stand for the demons when that time comes. Jeanne stepped up, we will get Mugaro back too, but you are still here. We're not getting anywhere if I don't know what to expect from you. You didn't pay attention to me, you were wrong about what to expect from Merlin and Athos. You _know_ that. That's why it's important to get where your allies are at, for me as much as you."

"Get it through your thick skull that I'm not going to fuck up anything anymore!"

"Not happening."

He flew off to the other end of the cave, but Nina ran right after. So he went out into the night, almost up the tree before he changed his mind. There would be a night guard.

What the hell was he doing anyway?

Nina scrambled after him, panting as reached the top in record time.

"I need to understand. It's not just you I'm uncertain about. There's more. There's _worse_. I'm one of two people in the whole world that even has a chance at protecting it against Charioce. I have to know what to expect from my allies at least, how else can I make the right choices?"

Oh, it wasn't all about him, it was about her.

"Quit the begging, it's pathetic."

Nina crossed her arms as well as she could while hanging onto the tree. "I don't mind that if it makes me wiser."

"I do mind, it's annoying to hear, it's—ugh, stupid ... I didn't think about Anatae, okay? I'd restore pride of the demons and thought the liberated demons could use the city till Cocytus was rebuilt. There were no actual plans."

"Then tell me what you would do now? If we freed them now and put a good monarch on the throne?"

Azazel shrugged. "I'll bring my people home. I want Charioce and the Onyx Knights dead, Jeanne can handle the rest."

Nina sighed in relief. "You have no idea what that means to hear. Hey, I bet Jeanne would allow some the weak and sick demons to stay till Cocytus is rebuilt anyway."

And just like that she flipped back to cheer. Okay, she _had_ to be faking it.

"And quit the lying faces. If we have to talk about this shit, do it without that crap."

Nina forced her face to be more neutral, which left her looking a little lost. "There's more?"

He sat down and Nina climbed the rest of the way up, taking a branch opposite of him, dangling her legs and eager to listen.

"Cocytus fell. I left Helheim to restore the pride of my people, and that became just saving my people. I never chose to change, or be what you call better than before." He hid half his his face behind his claws, not believing what he was about to say. "I only ever made one choice to change : when I was sealed below the mountains for my rebellion, I ripped my heart out. Didn't want the pain. So when lord Lucifer broke me out I felt nothing but exilleration. Being everything heaven feared was a game I loved in a new way, but the damn thing must've grown back because it became difficult to remember again."

"Remember what?"

Not gonna answer that.

"So there's at least a partial supernatural element to why it took so long for you to change back?"

"I didn't change back to anything! Just look around heaven. Humans aren't fellow people to the gods, they're _kept_. It wasn't hard to become a torturer, I didn't have any chivalry bullshit about humans deserving respect or anything. They're lowlife. Only exceptions mattered, which prove the rule to that. Humans are not people like us and can never hope to be, just like humans know dogs are smart but can never keep a conversation."

"Humans aren't lowlife, gods and humans can keep a conversation, and we still consider hurting dogs to be wrong," Nina said. "Anyway, you just ... shut down your ability to feel sad, and the rest didn't fit together either?"

"I'm not a puzzle, I don't fit together wrong," he said through gritted teeth. "Before I fell, I didn't care all that much for humans either. They were tools first and foremost, the only difference in hell was I didn't use them with care anymore."

"I've been in heaven for five days now," she said. "That sounds like a lot of the gods I met lately. I was like that too about demons. I think a lot of those gods can learn, and yeah, you probably weren't one of those, but we're here now. You did move away to become someone who sticks up for the weak and heaven doesn't yet."

"Tch. That was your mistake, you just assumed I was a hero."

"So I was wrong, but you know? I also thought _I_ was a perfect hero. I wasn't. According to my mother, I spent years fighting humans as a wild beast." Nina turned her eyes down. "There wasn't enough to eat in the forest so I went out and ate cattle and that got people mad at me. There's stories of my burning villages down and killing knights. We don't know how much of that is true, but I was noticed in a bad way, so I probably did some of those things. And we know what happened when killing someone finally was a good thing : I didn't do it."

"That makes you wild, not wicked. It's not the same as me when you can barely think." What was she even getting at, bringing this up? Was she just throwing back history cause he had?

"I still got the same results though. Not helping people." Nina raised a finger. "And that's my other problem, I need my dragon self to not be so stupid. It'll help if dragon me get it better, and I'll just have to take it along when I change." Nina started jumping down the tree. "Thanks for the answers."

"Get _what_ better?"

"I'll bring you some Ambrosia cake next time!"

"Get what?" he called after her.

"You'd probably mess something up if you knew about it," Nina called back, without looking up. "Sleep well, I got to go talk to some more people!"

He stayed in place, watching her go, before kicking the tree and cursing at nothing.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne woke from persistant shaking at her shoulder.

Years as a knight had left Jeanne with an instinct for urgency on the battlefield. She shot up before realizing the silence. There was no approaching battle, no screams, no scent of blood or sense of demons, just the dark room and the stars outside. Just Nina.

Groggy, she asked, "What is it?"

"Destiny's calling." Nina hopped away from the bed to pull open Jeanne's closet. "I think the world has a shortage of heroes so it's time to get up."

"Nina, it's the middle of the night and I have no powers."

"I can't fix the night, but gods respect power more than people and that we can give you a little edge in."

"Mwuh?"

"I've been working on magic and changing how I view Chris. And Azazel says that if we defeat Charioce he's not gonna do revenge on random civilians, he'll leave the kingdom to you, so we have a demonic ally already. We need more, and gods too. Now it's your turn, and you don't need more blessings of the gods for this."

She sat up, thinking it over. "I have never acted outside of the orders I was given save that one time," she said. "Whatever good I did achieve, I was directed to do. Subservience to the gods been more important than ever for the past ten years. Maybe ..."

What was she thinking, listening to Nina? That matters had not been as she assumed was no reason to fall head first into actual defiance, but ... her child shouldn't be like that ...

"Nobody has good orders to give now. Lucifer has no plans, Azazel doesn't know how to plan, and Gabriel's ideas on how Mugaro's power works aren't gonna hold and nobody's reaching out to the demons. It _has_ to be us who changes something. What, does someone precious have to die before you stop putting up with this?"

"Nina, it's not as simple as just doing what I feel needs to be done. It's only been days since I even learned I'm not responsible for lord Michael's death. I can barely keep up with the changes in my faith that I must make, and I am no way qualified to defy the gods however little. Regardless of whether I approve, lady Gabriel is an ancient being with vastly more experience than I, and a whole supernatural realm at her beck and call. I have nothing."

"Gabriel doesn't have to know for now," Nina said. "You can just do something small first. I did that too under Dante's rebellion. There was training, getting enough food around, and especially getting allies. The magic you lack, well, you know how dragon clothes disappear when we transform and how Qhispe has ornaments already on her when she goes dragon? I think we should be able to get back something you lost once. Get dressed, I'll show you."

Jeanne pulled on the clothes from Nina's village and was about to go out the door. Nina went to the balcony though, where she unfolded her wings. "No door, we don't want anyone to notice."

Going behind the back of the gods now. Jeanne almost turned back to bed.

"Come on, Jeanne. You don't want to disappoint Sofiel, right?"

"Lady Sofiel is involved too?"

"Getting someone important as we speak." Nina hooked her arms around Jeanne's waist and jumped up, stretching her wings. "Don't scream."

That was a demand difficult to meet since Nina fell like a brick. Over halfway down she caught the wind, only to whirl around over her own axis, almost crash twice and then dodge a night guard by careening into the undergrowth of a park. There she lost grip of Jeanne, sending them rolling down a slope.

Jeanne groaned and sat up. Gods, she wanted back to bed. Nina's mystery promise better be good.

"How does Azazel do this?" Nina grumbled as she pulled her face from the grass. She spat out bits of dirt and green. "Oh, there's our back up!"

Six feet stopped before them. Looking up, there were a centaur and that woman tending to the mausoleum.

"Aurora's curious and Chiron knows about teaching humans magic," Nina said.

"And I'll give you a ride, from the looks of it," Chiron said.

Thank goodness. Chiron was large enough for Jeanne to ride along with ease. Nina ran along and so did Aurora, though her gait was more like drifting leaps.

Aurora opened a portal once they reached a cliff, which led them to another stretch of running. At the end of this lay small domed shrine, stuffed to the brink with machinery. Unlike anywhere else in heaven this place had dust, rust and puddles on the marble floor.

With some difficulty, they got themselves into the small space. A small brownhaired angel peaked in from another room, smiling while mentioning tea later. Before Jeanne could ask, this person was gone again.

Another portal opened, this one directly in the doorway. Out stepped Sofiel, followed by a blackhaired angel in veils, who had not just wings on her back but a smaller set on her head too.

"Lady Sofiel?" Jeanne asked. "I'm surprised Nina got you on board with this."

"She crashed the window of my private quarters too," Sofiel said.

"I'm realllllly sorry! I tried to knock."

" _Tried_ , indeed," Sofiel said. "Well, we are here. Jeanne, I would like you to meet lady Schwertleite, who may be able to help you."

"With what?"

"That sword you told me Michael gave you," Nina said.

"Précieuse used to be within my care," Schwertleite said. "You say it vanished along with lord Michael, if Ninati conveyed this right. It did not return to my armory so it may still exist in your aura. The same bundle of personal magic that fuels spells you cast or concord with divine magic also records and holds whatever it deems part of you : clothing you wear, and weapons you wield. I believe Précieuse vanished because you wanted it to at that time, but you have never learned to manifest weaponry."

Sofiel put a hand on Jeanne's shoulder. "You may have it back yet, so you'll have a way to defend yourself on earth. Perhaps you might even display it to affirm your identity."

It sounded more assuring than Nina's grand expectations, though Jeanne suspected Nina hadn't told Sofiel half her hopes.

Turning to Schwertleite, Jeanne said, "I will try with the blessing of the gods. What do I do?"

"If you can wield my swords, then you will already have familiarity with the difference in how divine weapons work. Mortal though you may be, get into your mindset as a saint and I will draw out your sword."

"I would be honored," Jeanne said, but in the back of her mind she screamed.

Where Maltet channeled, Précieuse in itself had magic that could slay the supernatural. It had been a sign of trust to be given this, yet the only time she had wielded it, treachery and murder had been brought. It wasn't treachery, she now knew, but that didn't stop how she remembered it. The sheer determination to kill them, so stark in her mind. Nothing had mattered more in the world than the death of the gods.

Chiron had her hold her palms out as if she grasped a sword, invoking Jeanne's magic in the same motion. Jeanne followed the guidance of her streams until she found something that felt so close to her, she had never paid it more heed than she had her thumb or hair.

Schwertleite chanted spell under her breath, unlocking ... no, granting authority to open another channel.

Flickering in and out of existence, bright red the way it had been when she killed Michael. Her heart begged for it to go away as the red light grew stronger with the beat. The tremors in the blade as it tore into the gods lay fresh on her mind.

Careful she took the hilt of Précieuse. The weight of it disturbed her, but she closed her eyes, allowed herself to dwell on Michael's last smile for only a moment, before raising the sword.

It still answered her call, becoming weightless at command. She wished she could wield another weapon, longed for the lost Maltet that had less pain attached, but wishing got her nowhere.

Part of her had wanted strength to flood into her now she had it back, but no such thing happened. It was just a sword ladden with past misery. Wielding it to undo misery might be its best fate.

This road might not be what Michael had intended for her, but it was not the first time she had set that aside for the sake of the people she had sworn to protect. This time though, it wouldn't be a rushed decision at the stake. She was safe, she could think it over. Decide for her own, and that was more frightening than now. All her fall would be her own doing, if she fell.

Nobody looked at her expecting her to fall though. Nina looked happy, Sofiel proud, Chiron and Schwertleite a little intrigued, and Aurora shone.

"Will it answer if I rename it?" Jeanne asked. When Schwertleite nodded, she said, "Then let its new name be Joyeuse."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Today, Cerberus had achieved something not sucky : get herself the perfect pouffe, raided from a human trader who was too dead to mind. Mimi and Coco had a smaller one too. It should be a good day, despite ... everything. It wasn't, because Adva dropped by to mention Olivia knew Cerberus had taken a doctor. Damn, and there she'd thought she'd been sneaky enough.

So she waited for hours, unable to really rest.

Olivia didn't appear to reclaim him. She didn't appear at all, but across the day more of her servants, humand and demon alike, wandered the edge of the slums. It was nerve wracking because Cerberus didn't know whether to expect a fight or not.

By noon, Al Miraj reported one of Olivia's was descending the stairs next to the elevator.

That was all?

Perhaps Olivia's display had drained her more than Cerberus had expected. She gathered her puppies and teleported off — still so easy.

She waited at the bottom of the stairs, from which an old woman hobbled.

Mimi and Coco turned to their monster shapes and flanked Cerberus as she blocked the way. "No no, I don't think so."

"Oh my, little miss, won't you let me pass? I am merely here to instruct the demons of the new house rules. Especially regarding _property_."

"No need for that here. As Naberius, hound of Hades, this is _my_ territory. I'm already gracious enough to host your lady in my home. That is all she can ask from me, lest I include her in my report to lord Lucifer. Perhaps he'll wonder whether she aspires to follow Belzebuth's footprints? He might just be motivated to take her down before she becomes another problem."

"So you defy the lady Olivia?"

"Wasn't that obvious yet?"

The old woman's eyes narrowed. "You lay a claim?"

"I laid my claim five years ago. If she thinks Azazel left a territory free, she's wrong. It was always _my_ territory."

"I see." The old woman didn't argue further as she turned back.

Of course, Belphegor just had to exit the tunnels right then and there. Someone had probably told her about the messenger too.

"That was all?" Belphegor asked.

"For now," Cerberus said.

"In retrospect it was a horrible idea to send lord Azazel away, but I'm glad you took a stand more or less on my end." Belphegor sided up, practically beaming. It was sickening.

"I think I hate you," Cerberus said.

"So mutual." Belphegor patted her on the shoulder. "And yet, I didn't have to lecture you once before you got into arms."

"No arms here, I'm _not_ running a rebellion. This falls under keeping the house tidy."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne didn't get enough sleep, but she stood up when Gabriel ordered her along on another expedition. This time a healing session was planned for El to harvest faith from the population, with a selection process on who would be allowed in line. Sofiel was to work on this while Gabriel spoke with the pope of Valeria, while Jeanne was to occupy a few fancy lords and ladies. And not be anywhere near El.

Reinier directed lords and ladies at her who had vague doubts about the truth of everything, and who were more curious about what it was like to be connected to holy power than how to bring Charioce down. Whenever Reinier deemed the nobility noble enough to join in, she learned a few things on Valeria's state of politics and magic. It interested her, but she found it difficult to focus. Through the windows of the cathedral drifted the sound of the crowd outside. The longer it went on, the more she longed to face them as she had done in old days. _Those_ were the people she had been born from and who needed the most guidance and protection. Seven years she had not been able to stand for them, forcing herself to be content with that.

What made her a knight had wittled that patience down to nothing, Nina's words giving shape to the hammer.

Jeanne decided, and did another not so righteous thing : ommit her true intent. Dishonesty to gods stung, but after cutting her child's wings deception had lost the sensation of great sin.

"Lord Reinier, I would like to address the people outside," she said during a quiet moment. "I might be able to assure them of more if I speak to many at a time and let them spread the world."

"Lady Gabriel is occupied, but perhaps you can disturb lady Sofiel to request permission," Reinier said.

"Lady Sofiel is beholden to lady Gabriel," Jeanne said. "I'm afraid she will turn me down on principle of her busy schedule. If I am to address them, I would only do so after her time with the cardinal is past. By then most of the impoverised people have been forced to return to their work." When that seemed to confuse him, she added, "In societies with starvation level poverty, the poor cannot afford to lose even an hour of day's work. Most already will not have shown here. That is the most numerous part of the population cut off."

"Ah, I see. I suppose if it's time sensitive, we might take a small liberty," Reinier said.

"Or we might do it the next time after we obtained permission," Urlain said, though ne made no move to stop Jeanne when she got up.

Jeanne didn't open the door herself, waiting for them to follow. She needed the impression of legitimacy. Reinier hesitated, but love for his old territory won out. Urlain gave a longsuffering sigh and went for the other door.

As they swung the door opened, Jeanne straightened her back and stepped out.

A crowd waited outside, eager to catch a glimpse of the gods. Most were middle class, but there also was decent number of the poorest classes. As she stood at the top of the stairs, all eyes locked on her.

"I am Jeanne d'Arc, mother of El Mugaro," she said. "I have come on the tide of liberation from the heart of Charioce's corruption, where I was enslaved because I refused to deceive the people in his name. Today I have come to speak to you _and_ hear what you have to say. Tell me what you wish to understand."

The crowd murmured until someone asked, "Why are the gods only moving now? If he's so bad, why not do it before he took over entirely?"

There were the questions they'd never ask the gods, only her as a human. Good.

"It is true they have proved too weak to stand against Charioce, but it is not for the reasons Charioce claims. Employing a forbidden powers that tears into the very fabric of the world's balance, he had been annihilating the gods behind your back since he ascended the throne. Using their weakness if the wake of their act of protecting us from Bahamut, he stole the power of Dromos. You must have heard the rumors of the giant hand that loomed of Anatae. It is no exageration : Dromos is a power of destruction capable of matching even that of my child and the strongest of ancient gods combined."

"If the gods can't, why should we even follow them?" Another lone voice, but the crowd became a little more animate and the gods tensed up.

"Because we share the same fate under him, that of destruction," she said. Time for the first bomb. "The gods have cared for humankind, but perhaps not as well as they should. Before his death, Lord Michael asked me for forgiveness that the old duties under Zeus had been neglected. The gods have grown distant to their old friends, but realized before Bahamut that this was erring off the righteous path. If not for Charioce, the old bond might well have been restored."

Probably not if she had to be realistic, but right now optimism was needed, and a second bomb. The humans didn't suffer that much under Charioce, a few nobodies in hidden prisons aside. They needed to know what to fear, and they needed to distrust what Charioce gave them.

"And there is another bond that most be built upon. We have seen what a wicked king can do to a once honorable kingdom," Jeanne said. "Charioce's hold on the continent shall ever expand until he holds dominion over all, and your own identity will be gone. It has already befallen another kingdom : that of the demons after the fall of Satan."

The eyes of the gods bore into her back. Jeanne's heart pounded like she was young on the battlefield, Maltet yet untested. She was glad to not have included, _it is not only the leaders of the gods who lost their way_.

"The demons are as you are : the people of a kingdom who did not choose their lord. Just as you do not embody the wicked will of Charioce, the demons are not all an extension of Belzebuth or any other cruel demon. It is understandable you would know this, having only legends to believe in and never having been to hell. Charioce has been to hell and has seen that life there is not different as it is from here, but he chose to build on lies so the nations of man and demon would not unite against him.

But Charioce cannot suppress the truth for long. Against my own expectations, it was demons who guarded my child during the years ne had to hide and it was demons who helped me escape. They must be our allies against Charioce, as they were our allies against Bahamut. And we may yet be allies in rebuilding the world together."

Someone stopped in the doorway right behind her, and the deepest pressure settled on her soul. Gabriel's power, and her unhappiness. Would she interfere in front of this crowd?

"How can demons be our allies if they're led by such monsters?" another of the crowd asked.

"Belzebuth fell by his hubris, his age is over, and I can prove to you not all demons are as Belzebuth and his court, in need of death or shackles." Jeanne went down the stairs. "Is there a site with enslaved demons nearby? Bring me one."

Someone hailed a nearby cart to send off while Jeanned waited with Gabriel's eyes boring in her back. A quick glance back revealed her doing an admirable job not _looking_ openly hostile, but she discussed something with a frustrated Reinier. Her eyes never left Jeanne.

Soon a handler appeared on the plaza with a tall, pale blue demon covered in scars and chains.

The crowd parted for them and Jeanne, so they met at the center. A man of high class, probably a duke, hovered after. "We heard the saint requested a demon?"

"Indeed I did, thank you," Jeanne said, fighting back the bile rising from thanking anyone for a slave.

"I am honored to serve the holy, but if you intend to demonstrate a slaying—"

"I want to talk to him," Jeanne said, stepping past the human to before the demon. "What is your name?"

"I'm not giving my name to any human," he growled.

"Then give me something to call you," she said. "My name is Jeanne."

"Jeanne d'Arc?" His face contorted in rage and Jeanne just barely jumped back as he lashed out.

Urlain shot next to her, throwing a flare of light. Jeanne manifested Joyeuse and with a center slash cleaved the attack. The blade's resident magic combined with her ability to disperse energy broke the flow, sending the flare apart without harm.

"I appreciate your guard, dalua Urlain, but I am not in distress."

She locked eyes with the confused demon, planted the sword in the ground and kept her hand on it. With her other hand she pulled out a feather she'd taken from Azazel's lair.

"I know what my name bears to the demon kind, and perhaps who ever suggested you to face me has something to lose. You have the option to play into the hands of your captors or to ally yourself not with me, but with all the demons who seek to rebuild their kingdom. I speak on behalf of one who seeks to liberate you."

The demon closed his large hand around the feather. In his palm, she rain her finger over it to unleash its magic so he would know it belonged to a fallen angel.

"Join the fight against our common enemy," she said. "You would not be the first demon to understand this need."

The demon lowered his hand as the feather's power faded, waiting. It was something at least.

"Take that collar off," Jeanne said to the duke.

The duke didn't move, and the gods too stayed put.

Well then.

Jeanne forced as much of her own _human_ magic into the sword as she said, "Do you understand I have no purpose in killing you here and now, after this spectacle?"

"Yes," he murmured.

Holding the collar in place with one hand, she set the sword's tip on the green gem. Pushing upward at this angle wasn't easy and it took long enough for the crowd to get restless, but as soon as she had a crack in, the gem broke as if it had been brittle glass.

Jeanne stepped back as the demon ripped the dead metal from his neck and tossed it away. The crowd backed off, a collective breath held, but their fears were not met.

"What now?" the demon asked.

"Are there others where you come from?" Jeanne said. "If so, show me to them."

He turned on his heel and went to into a street, Jeanne followed. The crowd parted quickly.

The duke hobbled after Jeanne, at a safe distance too. "You can't jus do that! I paid good money for that demon!"

"Heaven will compensate you," Jeanne said, not giving him another glance. "Provided you prove virtuous and willing to atone for your crime of presuming to own a sapient life."

That left the duke behind, but Urlain followed.

Following the demon, Jeanne reached a mansion, where a group of enslaved demons worked to build an extra wing. When the demons and humans alike saw a loose demon, a human and an angel move in, they stopped.

"Hear me!" Jeanne called. "From this day forth, there will be no masters and slaves in this city, only allies against Charioce XVII!"

Urlain landed next to Jeanne, leaning close to whisper, "What on earth are you doing?"

"I'm doing for justice what Charioce wanted me to do for him : uniting the people under one banner."

 **· · · · · · ·**


	16. Forgiveness

**· · · · · · ·**

Drums and pipes thrilled into the night, confetti rained all around. They swung through a festival full of cheers under the firelit sky. He was the way she liked him best, smiling gently but guiding strong. Even in the heat of dance and feast he was only ever the perfect image of calmness and control, each step calculated as he led their dance.

Something cracked below Nina's feet. A glimpse of a small white wing and Mugaro's lifeless eyes before Chris swung her onward.

She matched his pace to the ever more cheerful music, even as shrivelled demons cropped up the crowd begging for mercy.

Right past emaciated Jeanne on her knees, praying under the rising shadow of Dromos.

Chris twirled her around.

And here, Azazel in a collar thrown to the ground as an arena built around him.

The crowd parted to give room to Nina and Chris's dance.

"Wait ... " Nina said, but everything else she ought to say died on her tongue.

Onyx Knights lined the edge and in passing Chris told them, "Kill them all."

They didn't move, but all else did.

Dromos fell on Jeanne and a dozen swords skewered Azazel. The demons in the crowd were trampled. Siem and Kiprio and others she knew only a little strung on the gallows. Dante and Eligos's flesh melting away under charged arrows, wings tore from children and whips cracked on broken backs as thousands of slaves pulled up a hollow tower surrounding the dance. In the shadow of this all, Chris lay spun countless laws that threaded into the celebrants, became their guidance and wisdom and permission to destroy lives as they saw fit.

Gods lay sacrificed on the altar of his empire, and demons stripped of their wings, horns, culture, their strongest and weakest, their home and kingdom. Humankind would build on bones to rise to heaven.

Still Nina and Chris danced, and she felt only the joy in her heart at his sincere smile.

 _Why?_ Nina asked herself. _What about the others?_

"They don't matter," Nina said.

 _But he turns all the world into Gehenna._

"Peace would be great but if I have to choose, it is _him_. It _always_ will be _him_."

 _They don't matter anymore._

The world around them erroded until only skeletons remained and Chris was still untouched in her arms.

The carnage might as well not exist as he leaned down to kiss her. In the promise of his devotion to her lay a sense of power and a desire for kindness only between them, that she was special when no one else was.

The others did matter, but only to contrast her importance to him. All she had to do to earn love was respond in kind. To let him be everything to her, and she would hold all she wanted. The rest would come, maybe he would change, but even any other wish she held was secondary to him.

For him, she would betray everyone.

Maybe she already did so.

When Nina opened her eyes to the darkness of her room, fear kept her frozen.

She lay breathing deep to the merciless pounding of her heart. The dragon clawed behind her eyes to get out. She began forcing the power away before it pushed her any further. Claws dug into the mattress and her neck was too long already, but she could still think and realize.

She shouldn't change here, bad place, too small ... people died if she transformed in places too small. Her father had. Some man whose name she had never learned, too, but if she was honest only her father's death hurt.

And Chris hurt, but not in a way she could use. If only she could reach into her chest and out this feeling that she didn't want. But she was not of divine origin at all, and it hadn't even worked for Azazel the way he'd wanted.

All the hatred she had felt for Charioce still lived, her feelings on his regime had not changed, so why couldn't she connect Charioce to Chris?

The pulse of her power slowed down. To wash the desire for him away, she tried to put her mind to her friends instead, to her mother, even her father.

Knowing the truth of her father's death hadn't made it better, rather, it drove home that however unintentional she hurt people. The dragon wanted out so much more lately, but this night was the worst.

It wasn't even the first nightmare she had had of Chris. It built with every day she met gods who had lost loved ones to him, and saw Azazel deny he was sick and Jeanne flinch at the sound of anything like a whip.

She tried to force the thoughts back down along with the dragon, but it thinned her strength. Some selfish part of her wanted to talk with Jeanne and pour it all out. Her mother too perhaps, but she wasn't sure whether that was right anymore. Her mother had left her in the dark for years. But Jeanne was not here, she had been gone for a few days now. According to a messaged, she tried to ally humans and demons in a city and she wouldn't be back soon.

Even if Qhispe was awake, she would only give sagely advice and Azazel was the last person she could tell about Chris.

The eb came about slowly on her own call. Pink light rolled over her arms in the same rhythm as the pounding of the pulse in her veins. She tore the tangled blankets as she sat up.

The room had felt too sterile before, if pretty, now it was welcome to the rolling thunder in her head.

Curling her wings out, she surrounded herself with the translucent membrance. Wings were more like hands than she had expected, or maybe that was her mind trying to make sense of them. They didn't really fit still, but she could move them like she moved her fingers.

A queasy rhythm in that was her needed distraction, untill all that was left was her human form.

Dawn probably was around now, though it was difficult to see since it was always starry yet radiant up here. She stood up anyway. Another day, another time to argue with stubborn gods and see how many might give earth and hell a chance.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel descended from her gate above the cathedral just to collide with a demon in mid flight. When he saw she was a god, he quickly apologized and flew off.

"Down below!" another called.

Sofiel barely dodged a falling beam. It never hit the ground, a gigantic ghoul caught it and easily lifted it back up.

What in the world was going on here? She'd been told of a disturbance, not of this!

Granted, she understood a construction site when she saw one, Valeria had skyscrapers ever since demonic labor became available. Just, the old churches had not been upgraded. So far. Now the walls went much higher, and to the side was a whole outcrop.

She flew on. The demons stared at her with suspicion and fear.

At ground level, Sofiel folded her wings and conjured up her human clothes, trying to blend in. She did not want some random nut deciding she would be the perfect way to get back at heaven.

It proved a little difficult to find Jeanne in the crowd. Most were demons, but there was a significant amount of humans, including a so called civil rights group; they were much more enthusiastic about this than the gods they pestered about supporting projects. They even had demon members.

When she finally found Jeanne, it was within the now open ceiling cathedral's main room. Benches and ornaments had been cleared out, leaving space for rubble. The windows were removed for safety reasons as well. A skeleton of wood and stone, it hardly looked like progress for the church.

Jeanne wore the clothes from Nina's village too, blending more with the humans surrounding her. A pastor, a bishop, a number of city officials and two demons, peering over a map on a table. Impatient, Sofiel waited until they were done.

When Jeanne at last walked off, Sofiel sided up. "Jeanne ..."

"Ah, lady Sofiel!" Jeanne lit up at her presence, and Sofiel hated to break that mood, but she had to.

"When I agreed to help you get back Précieuse, I did not think you had plans to this."

"I did not bring it in for defending myself against demons, but to give myself some legitimacy before the gods. Nina surely thought the same. I may not be a saint anymore, but there are many things I can do without the magic of war."

Sofiel blocked her path. "Jeanne, please listen to me. Undermining the old way we do things in a time of crisis is not the best course of action you can take. You've been here for days and, well, we cannot remove you while you have all these obligations. It would look bad, but we would prefer you return to enforcing the more general religious ties between heaven and earth. What are you even doing here?"

"The freed demons must go somewhere. I arranged for them to be sheltered by the church, but there is too many and I'm afraid the local clergy has too much prejudices. So we're expanding the shelter. A number of the demons are already familiar with construction and we have an architect." Jeanne pointed at a wrinkly green demon, who half raised his hand in acknowledgement.

Jeanne darted past Sofiel, having caught the arrival of food sacks. Some donated mushrooms, which Jeanne insisted on going through until a demon told her the poison didn't matter.

That should've settled things, but Jeanne just went on to peel potatoes while a demon started a fire in the middle of the hall. A bunch of kids and eldery demons flocked by to help out, and an adult brought in a massive cauldron. Jeanne began instructing them on a recipe she knew with these things, citing her life next to the woods. Most of the demons had never known woods, and that became a topic.

Honestly, how absurd. She should be in throne rooms if anything.

"Why are you cooking?"

Jeanne gave her a look that could only be described as, _how could you possibly ask?_

It was a little dirty here. Sofiel wiped the bench and sat down at the edge.

"Jeanne, one city cannot change this all."

"But it can inspire change elsewhere." Nonchalantly, she tossed the potato pits in the cauldron, as if to accent that. As if it would be that easy.

"Right now, a demon has taken hostage part of Anatae. Charioce and his court are using this to counter any claims demons can be trusted free, and I have no doubt humans will find that much more persuasive than anything you do here, because it builds on centuries of evil from the demon tribe."

"Hey! Don't give us that shit, lady," the demon at the cauldron snapped. "You guys keep dumping your criminals with us and you're complaining they get a government going that sucks? First Satan, now Lucifer. And we owe Belzebuth to that fun little system too, birds of a feather, you know. So you shut your pretty mouth with the 'tribe' thing."

"They don't even have centralized political system the way heaven does. You see ... " Jeanne frowned to herself, and kept quiet.

"That may well be, but it is not your concern. Have you not done enough for them? Why not move on? Perhaps free more than just here?"

"Set them free and then what? Have you ever lived in poverty? Without freedom, on the brink of starvation? Valeria might not be as bad as what I've seen in Anatae, but it will be worse for those I freed if I don't attend to them. I am not leaving here until these dem— there _people_ have a roof over their head and enough food coming. Even if it doesn't change the whole world, it's worth it for them. But I will change more than just this, on my oath as a knight."

Jeanne wouldn't have been a saint if she hadn't been like this, but Sofiel inexplicably couldn't accept her perseverance. She would only be disappointing, and her next words were not chosen wisely.

"Like what your friend tries to do in heaven by yelling at gods? Do you have any idea what trouble she might cause? The public forums are already buzzing with theories on Qhispe and some of her words in the mausoleum got out. Unconfirmed, of course, we can't have the public knowing sensitive information already."

"Nina only means well," Jeanne said. "And I've been told making friends is something she naturally does. Honestly, she should be with me, not on some stale forums."

Sofiel leaned closer to her ear, but not too close. "No, on Indra's Net's forums. It's information, like letters sent to one another, but faster and more expensive. People get together and theorize and unite in ways you can't predict. Part of my job is keeping an eye on that. Nina going down here would cause all sorts of complication, and we're certainly not letting her on Indra's Net."

Maybe she just imagined it, but Jeanne appeared to be slicing a little harsher. With a sigh, she added, "Look, Jeanne, you must not place too much hope in this."

Jeanne dropped the knife in the bowl. "What should I place hope in then? Lady Gabriel dragging my child across the world for inspiration and having humans pray to nur under the wrong name? Until she throws my child, _my seven year old child_ , back into a battle against something on par with _Bahamut_? We _should_ be finding out what causes the resistance."

"Your child may be the only hope for the world," Sofiel said, as she had been trained to, but she wasn't so sure herself. Nina's existence called into question the special destiny that Michael allegedly figured out in the afterlife. It also meant the immunity wasn't unique, and they might find others yet. Maybe they even could figure it out with magic.

Jeanne deadpan said, "I'm seriously starting to consider leaving my child in Azazel's care."

Did she imagine an unspoken _again_? Had Jeanne heard rumors in the inner circles or was this just an off mark joke about her old enemy?

"That seems like a bad idea, lass," the demon at the cauldron said. "I can name you a dozen better options who aren't part of the damn elites."

The conversation that ensued on that left Sofiel out. Jeanne set aside her work to pull out papers to write names on, and asked for descriptions and others to talk to. None of the right questions were asked. Jeanne knew town life, and knighthood, and the army, but she hadn't even thought of the political ramifications. The religious ones she left aside, Jeanne wanted to uproot those anyway. The demon she spoke to had just been a civilian in hell — hell having civilians felt so bizarre — and had even less , if it had to be. Sofiel picked up a pile of carrots and a knife, unsure how to handle it but intent to not just sit here useless.

"You would need to organize more than just soldiers in ranks or civilians in towns," Sofiel said. "Remember, nobody signed up, they were all abducted."

Jeanne could only haphazardly point out professions, none of which sounded qualified to unite a larger group of freed slaves. They would need a center point and — oh why was she even thinking about helping demons? They'd just backstab them once it was all over.

If. If, if she had to be honest. Charioce's threat was far greater than anything, sans Bahamut perhaps.

"What do they want at the end of this?" Sofiel asked Jeanne.

"We want to go home, and I'm standing right here," the demon said. Sofiel looked at vun first the first time. The demon was stocky, old, and full of contempt. Hardly an interesting conversation partner.

"We'll need a little more than that." And Sofiel knew exactly what, but had very little taste for articulating that to someone who'd probably be dead in a few years anyway.

Shouting from above disturbed them, some kind of argument. Without missing a beat, Jeanne stood up and called, "I need a lift!"

Sofiel was on her feet, wings unfolding, but too late. A nearby demon had already scooped her along a few levels up. Sofiel felt a twinge of unreasonable spite over that, before deciding she might as well follow and see what was up, maybe bring Jeanne back down, and maybe see whether she could help resolve that issue.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Ambrosia was apparently very difficult to get, so Nina insisted on Jeanne being around to try it too. This was a thing now, going to a secret underground picnic with Lucifer's right hand, whom she was hiding in heaven. On top of reforming the entire structure of heaven's approach to earth and hell. Oh gods. Might as well bring candles for ambiance.

Getting excuses to run off with Nina was even easier since Jeanne's return, since Nina was on the brink constantly. She couldn't help feel a little bad for suggesting she learn the truth, since it unravelled more than it restored. Nina glowed pink all the way into the lair, where Azazel kept losing snakes. Shouldn't he have overcome that poison by now? There were times where he didn't grow any snakes from his arms, but the longer he was in heaven the more steady it became in frequency.

Might El be able to help either of them? Oh, she wanted to just bring her child here, away from the strange philosophies and back to humble roots — literal ones even. Maybe she could suggest Nina needed the help, but they wouldn't even let Nina spend time alone with El.

Nina coaxed some roots into a round table and started unpacking one of her bundles. She had one big cake with multiple layers and a few small ones.

Azazel and cake sure was something. The whole image of stoic dark demon crashed down into a lot of second hand embarassment.

"Who raised you?" Jeanne couldn't help but ask. Normally he had better table manners than Nina, but this made her question how much of that was an act.

"Shnuddup," he said while stealing some of Nina's cake by means of snake. "Or actually, talk about something else. Nina says you're breaking chains?" Not that Azazel had been disinterested in what she told of El, but this was the first time he _needed_ to know.

She went over her actions only, not her plans yet. One city where she had convinced the nobles to allow demons to do paid work under supervision of the gods, and she had arranged food, shelter and medicine for them. Some bishop had suggested they expand the church, keeping the paid work 'under supervision' most easily.

"And you got the gods on board with this?" Azazel asked. "Really?"

"I'm unsure yet. Lady Gabriel, Odin and many others of her council are displeased, but they do not want to appear as if they can't control me. To be honest, I'm more nervous now than I was when I stepped out of that church. But I've managed to have a few who agree with me, and some of Nina's friends have an interest in descending too."

"Tch. And what makes you think gods are the best for it?"

"Gods by nature tend to the world. Regardless of whether they've not kept me in mind, the gods have always taken care for humankind. I cannot say the same for demonkind," Jeanne said. "If we can have them accept demons as people too, it will be better than humans." She almost had said _sinful_ humans, but kept the word safe behind yet.

Azazel finished the last of his serving, grabbed the big cake and put it so he was between it and Nina, and settled to talk. "No, gods _keep_ humans _if_ they are pleased, they get rid of them if they don't. That's how it worked four centuries ago, and it still does. Those two drunkards were the only gods living among humans and they are _exiles_ under special circumstances. Everyone else follows Raphael's doctrine to keep distant from the humans so they don't advance too much and continue needing the gods. The more familiar humans get to gods, they more they demand. Just look at the drunkards, nobody prays to them. Humans are the smaller mice of the magical ecosystem : there are lots of them that keep the fewer but stronger creatures sustained. That is true for both heaven and hell. Fate and fear feed each other."

He held up his darkened arm. "And they love rot if it happens where they want it. Rot makes the most bombastic kind of enemies. It was fun even, I revelled in it and let them live it. They got exactly what they asked for, to their regret."

"And ours," Jeanne said. "Regardless, this is what I want to remedy. I need to know what to expect, so why not start by telling me what happened to Belzebuth's followers?"

"They joined the alliance under Lucifer, of course."

Oh, that was a problem. She'd assumed they'd been killed on principle, save for who ever got away.

"I need to know more, if you please."

"There were seven tribes who serve as overseers. Currently there's just four left, led by Grigori, Amaymon, Saleos and Bifrons. Allied to them are a few dozen tribes each, some of which are alliances of smaller tribes. Since the death of Belzebuth they've been assimilating and distributing his allies to avoid an internal rebellion.

Not that we avoided all strife, but _that_ was my job : beat up anyone who misbehaved. I had to a lot, it was a cold war for the first three years. Who was gonna provoke Lucifer into acting, and if so, which allies would and would not join him? The idea an alliance of several of the strongest could team up against Lucifer floated around. Just when we were getting somewhere, Charioce invaded hell. No alliance mattered anymore."

"What do you mean with assimilation?"

"For example, there was a bunch of barbarians who got assigned on guard duty for squishy wizards who spent most of their times in laboratories, so they were forced to tone themselves down just to do their job right. Some liked it, some didn't, either way they weren't in a position to start infighting. They were under Saleos, whose alliance tended to already favor the innovators. The same didn't always work with other cases."

"Ah, a little like when I moved knighs between sub orders to optimize teamwork?"

"Cultural instead of tactical."

She might have to make calls on who to set free first and where, a task that felt far beyond her rights.

If only Nina or Azazel were better sounding boards for brainstorming. Maybe she ought to take this to Sofiel, who had more experience ...

Speak not only of the devil and he shall come, but of the goddess too, apparently. A cream circle of familiar ornamenets opened straight ahead of Jeanne, just beyond Nina and Azazel.

"Azazel, _hide_."

One glance back and he was gone, leaving behind feathers as his wings grew out. Nina shifted in his place, knocked over the cake to cover up most of the feathers and curled her wings ahead, so Jeanne could set her hands on them. Oh, please let the pretense pass ...

Sofiel stepped out of the circle and looked around in utter confusion.

Nina stood up a little too quickly and said, "Hey, hello, why are you joining us?" She flared her wings a little, throwing demonic energy all around.

"My apologies for trailing you, but ... what is happening here?" Sofiel said to Jeanne, while looking at Nina and the mushed up cake.

Oh. Oh no. Sofiel had been able to subconsciously trail Jeanne and El's presence two years ago, of course she could still do so. Urlain wouldn't be the only one sensing demonic energy either ...

"Just practice," Nina said. "We had a small accident when your circle disrupted our concentration."

Sofiel took one long look at Jeanne and Nina before slowly turning around, prying the darkness of something.

"I came to talk to you concerning your plans," Sofiel said.

Nina had to lean in an awkward position to hide one of the fallen feathers, and her grin did a poor job of not looking forced.

Sofiel frowned at Jeanne. "You two are hiding a matter. Do not deny it."

Jeanne tensed up. "It's nothing big. Only about on the level of uh, when I was little I once hit a a stray dog in the barn from my parents. Can we talk of this later, lady Sofiel?"

Sofiel still peered through the dark. Tapping her staff, it went alight, but she found only shadows of roots.

"Someone else is here, Jeanne," Sofiel said.

Nina leaned against Sofiel's arm, her own crossed. Her smile was sly. "Maybe. And maybe you followed Jeanne here because you want to talk about something you don't want Gabriel to hear?"

Beyond offended, Sofiel stepped away. "Why, you ..."

Jeanne took Sofiel's hand, clasping it in her own and had her instant attention. "Lady Sofiel, no good will come from pursuing this. Yes, we have help from someone regarding Nina's issues. They do not wish to be revealed. Please trust me when I say there is no danger."

Sofiel sighed, turning her eyes down. "Michael has always only praised your judgment on the battlefield."

Jeanne feared her judgment on Martinet would be brought up, but Sofiel went on to say, "I wished to discuss something with Nina and you both, but I would prefer to do it between only the three of us. I'll take your word, but I will not expand my trust to this stranger. Please meet me at the same place where we unlocked Précieuse for you. Nina too."

Jeanne nodded. "Thank you for your faith, lady Sofiel."

She walked Sofiel out through one of the passages, since Sofiel had some trouble with the excess of dark energy around here, and told her Nina had found this place. Another lie, she wanted to cease more than ever.

Sofiel left, still suspicious.

Once Jeanne had enough demons on her side and Azazel had returned to full health, she would send him to whatever new group of demons would come together. Then she would tell Sofiel about this. As much as she wanted to fully trust her, she wasn't certain yet to what degree Sofiel adhered to Gabriel.

Or how to make anything with these two work.

Upon return, she found them eating the mushed cake off the ground.

"Oh for goodness sake, why?"

"What? You've seen me eat worse," Nina mumbled through the chewing.

"When we had nothing else to eat!"

"It's good cake."

Azazel just moved the dirt off with snakes and stuffed his mouth again. "We're demons, you can't expect divine actions like wasting good cake."

Neither of these two would be very good for the reputation of the demons, but somehow, she would have to get them involved. Nina despite her immunity, Azazel despite his (in)famy with the demons and both despite their, ahem, lack of presentableness. She'd skip bringing this up when praying to Michael.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 _Do not let her go any further._ Those were Gabriel's orders on Jeanne's project. Select a few strong demons to be freed, maybe see whether some could be put into an army. Perhaps they could throw those as cannon fodder at Charioce during the next siege? Gabriel put a lot of that to work herself, but Sofiel was to oversee secondary arrangements. Finances for buying anyone free, potential spells, having demons checked for presence in the hall of sinners ...

... and well, she did think Jeanne should have a little back up. It wasn't encouraging her to expand or anything. Just ... help.

Besides, Jeanne was already doing something behind her back. Whomever she hid — and Sofiel was inexplicibly certain it was another living being — didn't appear harmful. Maybe another god from a distant area? A demon who had sneaked into heaven somehow, once or now? Someone she had summoned?

She would honor Jeanne's request to trust her, for now.

And maybe some other requests.

Really, she had to admit she kind of already was granting the expanse thing. Maybe. Potentially.

So Nina was in her office on invitation this time. She might as well have broke another window, what with this crowd. She had brought along friends, friends of friends and just about anyone who wanted a job on earth.

And Sofiel still hadn't reported this to Gabriel. She would have to, once Gabriel returned from another mission.

Or she could just send them off first, feign to misunderstand Gabriel's direction as not letting Jeanne specifically make decisions. With some luck Veritas would not be called in.

It didn't have to be any of the newbies who were just curious. Chiron and alike would do, they have experience with earth — Chiron himself had once trained heroes in the name of the gods and itched to do so again. Sending him along as instructor for Jeanne would raise Gabriel's hackles, but as supporter for the nobles who were to ally themselves with the heavenly armies ... she should be able to make such a move without much objections.

Still she hesitated, going over at length how to respond to all the ways Gabriel might object. It was only hours later that she opened a vision panel to Reinier and Urlain.

 **· · · · · · ·**

A protest raged beyond the forest, barely visible but loud enough to carry up.

This evening he got through the important mail much swifter than once; a new usual since the war with the gods. The countries under the alliance were a little less open in their communication; the key allies of Gramgarz, Manaria, Valeria, Rogreshia, Gordina and Leydia all had provided requested back up but were a little more recitent than usual. Less royals visited, eagerly pointing out the crisis in Anatae even if their planned destination had been elsewhere.

Valeria in particular seemed to wend back to the grounds. How long until that would blend with the protest going down in the upper ring?

A hand set on his shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry about it, you're doing fine."

Charioce turned away from the window, letting the corpse stand there. "The voice doesn't quite sound right."

Rita sat cross legged on the ground, surrounded by vials and potions and glass tubes filled with ichor. "You know your memory of how her voice sounded may not be accurate? You're only human, I'd be surprised if your memory was always accurate."

She liked to remind of him of that, thought her little taunts mattered.

"I know my mother's voice well enough, and you will continue until I am pleased."

"I can't say _I'm_ pleased with Kaisar being on the front lines," Rita said.

"He is safer there than with the Orleans Knights," he said. "My task force is far more competent and he is kept out of confrontation." And stirring trouble on Essenbeck's behalf.

"Hmm. I don't understand why you don't just lock him up somewhere?"

Before losing Azazel — did she already know? — he hadn't needed that. Now he could fabricate something, but that was more complicated. Charioce had seen the reanimated hand when he visited the stand where Nina had worked with Rita; Essenbeck was lying about regeneration and implantations. And Kaisar since its aquirement had a peculiar tendency to want to talk to his knights a whole lot more.

How it stuck together was up in the air and he didn't have a clear plan on how to deal with it, simply since he didn't know what went down.

Rita made decent progress at least. The room was cleared of fog, and his mother could still pass for a living human. There were a few beauty flaws in the jerking motion and how rather than eat, she just froze at the table. But her eyes did not glow and she smiled like a living person. He didn't pretend she was alive yet, not untill she could form opinions on new information. If his mother were truly alive, she would have much more to say about his kingdom and throne than repeated old phrases.

Soon enough he would have no choice but to deal with Bahamut. He just wanted to leave his kingdom in more competent hands that some other bastard son of lesser caliber. If Rita could truly bring people back to life, maybe she could fix him afterward, or barring that he would leave his mother behind.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"So I just stand in the circle here?" Favaro asked. Cerberus had at last found him at a point where he didn't have anything urgent enough to do, so he was biting the sword and hoped he came out looking cool.

Cerberus's new home was similar in spirit but not nature to her old : lots of incense and smoke and chandeliers, but it was all stolen from surrounding human houses as substitute, rather than crafted or imported. The walls and floor were sandstone, the latter which Cerberus now was drawing an elaborate circle on.

"That's it, all set! You stand a liiiitle to the left —" She shoved him a few paces. "—and swear loyalty to me."

"Do I have to?"

She flattened her ears a little. "Yes."

"Fine fine. I'm vowing loyalty to Cerberus or Naberius or whatever." Behind Cerberus, Amira's astral projection gave him a happy thumbs up. He'd be fine if Cerberus tried to screw him over, but he had to struggle to not look cocky.

"You're not gonna kiss me, right?"

"That how it happened the first time? Nah. It's an option because both breath and hands are magic keys, but I've had to kiss way too many lately. You get a poke to the head."

The circle lit up around Favaro and light drained from the already dark room, all nice and dramatic. He took a knee and spread his arms, which put him at eye level with her chest; too bad she wore a shawl. "My lady, I am ready to be damned."

Cerberus rolled her eyes, put her fingertip on his forehead and that was it. Favaro didn't feel any different.

Within a blink, someone teleported right behind Cerberus and shoved a sword through her gut. Cerberus froze, but only for a second. Reaching back, she did something that made Olivia scream and almost back away. Cerberus teleported ahead, grabbed Favaro and vanished.

They reappeared in the darkness. The loose echo indicated it was the caves.

"The hell just happened?" he asked, but Cerberus clamped a hand over his mouth.

Mimi and Coco scurried off and until they were back Cerberus kept herself and him stock still.

"No sign she followed, though one of her human servants is hanging around the entrance, ruff," one of the dogs said.

"Let's go deeper." Cerberus pulled him along through the dark, during which she teleported a few more times. When they stopped at last and Cerberus lit a candle, they were in a narrow crawlspace with old web all over the walls. It seemed closed off enough so Favaro lit a torch.

Cerberus still had the sword through her stomach, appearing in pain but not dying. One of her dogs popped up with bandages. She sat down, back towards Favaro. "Your first task : pull this thing out as soon as I say."

Getting the sword out came with a lot of blood and wincing, but she was still whole. Odd. The sword was definitely magic.

Cerberus pushed some goo in on both ends, then wrapped herself up.

"Why are you not dead or even immobile?"

"You know how my puppies are alive even as dolls without any organs?" Cerberus said through. "I'm like that with vital functions too, just a tad more convincing to be alive."

"Aha. And what happened just now?"

"She must've waited till I was distracted," Cerberus groaned. "Olivia cannot sneak up on me, even with teleportation. If anything teleportation makes her more easily to detect : it always displayed the air just before the body is transported. What I don't get is how she knew I was there doing something distracting."

"Yep, air magic is importants to our scent magic, ruff!" Mimi said. "She couldn't have had a spy in!"

"How long till she finds this place?" he asked.

"Depends on her sources, which I haven't been able to figure out yet," Cerberus said. "She's got her human followers wander around, they might be pacted in a way. But she doesn't want to face me without the element of surprise, or she would've done so already. Bah, and now she knows I can survive this. Maybe she'll bring those other two next time."

Favaro scratched his head, trying to think. Why was he doing this again? Olivia was probably another one less affected by fate and now she was gonna pay attention to him. He was inclined to just see where things went and wing it, but how long till that ran out? Besides, winging it meant fate dictated a little too much.

Amira wasn't here, yet, but she would find him soon enough. Maybe if he got some privacy he'd go over things with her.

What had that pact done for him anyway? Nothing really felt different ... wait. There was an increasingly agitating itch around his waist. He lowered his pants a little and out curled his old tail, now full of orange hair with a white tip.

"Aww, man, couldn't you have given me horns or something? I already had a perfectly fine demon tail."

"I couldn't get rid of the tail, that's some pretty powerful pact you got there," she said. "But I turned it all nice and fluffy. Come on, everyone has triangle tails, _nobody_ has a fox tail. You'll stand out!"

Favaro swished his upgraded tail and stared at it. "I might be able to work this, but it's the itching I'm not looking forward to."

"You'll learn to fluff your tail right. Now, let's get to the orders of—"

"Why are you so keen on pacting with me anyway?"

"You're goddamn Favaro Leone, whoever gets you on the side of the demons will be hailed."

"Bragging rights, or maybe you need a cushion cause you fucked up something?"

And it was the second one, judging by her sudden prickliness.

"I'll have you know that ..." Her eyes widened in shock and her mouth dropped as she stared past Favaro.

He looked back at the arriving Amira, who stared right back in confusion.

Cerberus took a knee and lowered her head. "Lord Satan!"

"Huh?" was all Favaro managed.

"Why is lord Satan with you?" Coco squeaked.

Oh, to them Amira looked like their old boss.

It would be so easy to tell her that yes, this was Satan projecting out of Bahamut and just get her to obey him that way.

"It's not Satan. That's Amira using his power."

Amira looked between them, frowning.

And all the world be damned, she said and Favaro heard, "I can hear you?"

Now it as Favaro's turn to drop his jaw. Amira's voice ... damn, he'd missed it.

"Duh, of course you can," Cerberus stood up again, exchaing reverence for offense. "Why is lord Satan lending you his power?"

Amira smiled. "He is not. I am just Amira, both the god and demon key. Zeus and Satan are gone, all their memory and power is mine now."

"Oh. Shit. That's ... brutal. I can live with that," Cerberus said, flattening her ears in anxiety. "So what do you want?"

"We're trying to change fate! It's Favaro and my new quest." She turned to Favaro. "Oh, I need to tell you so much more! No more papers!"

Holy shit. "Yes, I guess we have a lot to catch up on."

Her face fell into that dreadfully disappointed pout. Had he said something wrong again?

"I can't hear Fava," said to Cerberus. "Can't you make it so?"

"I _can_ hear you," he said, but at his words she sadly shook her head again.

Cerberus put a finger on her chin. "Hmmm ... okay, so there's a whole lot of magic types that govern the world. Voice reception is one of them cause it needs a separate package for spells or something. Sometimes there's glitches, in your case your voice isn't processed. Can you cast verbal spells?"

"Nope."

"Huh. Well, I bet you were one hell of a liar."

"Are you shitting me?"

"Not at all. What with you being a fate baby I bet you have all sorts of peculiar stuff going on. Here's my best guess : she's getting _your_ senses through your pact. Now you have a pact with me and my magically enhanced senses, there's overlap. I don't have voice related magic, but my hearing related magic might be good enough to give her something to work with."

"What a hassle, but it's better than before." He pulled out his papers and started drawing. "Hey, Cerby, teach Amira how to read better, okay?"

"I don't take orders from you, human! Hmmph." There, he was already regretting the decision to be honest.

"Can you stop looking like lord Satan? It's weird to see his form act like this."

"I don't know how that works, and I'm not doing you favors," Amira said. "You weren't very nice when I was visiting your castle."

Cerberus seemed to process within a few seconds that she had a potentially very powerful half demon, half god who might end up in the world again, and did not like her.

"So what fate _are_ you changing exactly?" she asked Favaro.

"Bahamut thinks we move too much and too little," Amira said. "As always. We are going to stop Bahamut differently. It won't take hundredsof years to return this time. Fate is a cobbled together mess, the first prophecy just a delay for the knight to show up : that nasty king. I don't like fate, it makes people suffer just like that for what's convenient. I don't like him either. We're fixing it all and then I'm going to come back and then Fava shows me that world!"

"Okay ... "Cerberus muttered.

"There are people are less supecible to fate's machinations, that's why Martinet was able to do what he did. I'm trying to be one too," Favaro said.

Her ears went flat entirely, her claws digging into the earth, less and and more as a cornered dog ready to bite. "You're putting our whole world at jeapardy because _you don't like fate_?"

He wasn't gonna appeal to someone like her by pointing out fate killed lots of people, and he wasn't gonna pretend that was his biggest concern either. They might have a common ground elsewhere.

"Look, this shit is creepier than hell. My sudden change of mind about pacting with you was fate, but I went against my first impulse of using your pact magic to break Nina out myself. We're pieces that it controls and discards," Favaro said. "It affects our freedom and our will, we're just cogs in the wheel against Bahamut. What if we could get rid of both?"

"What's Fava saying?"

"He's talking rebellion," Cerberus said. "He sounds like a fool about it too."

"Bahamut can do worse than it already does," Amira said. "All it needs to do is turn over. It will try eventually."

"Do you understand that?" Cerberus asked.

Favaro shrugged. "Nope, there's limits to her pointing at pictures. But listen, fate already put Dromos in place. We can use that once we figure out how it's controlled, we just don't do it fate's way. Fate likes Charioce and he's no good for us."

Cerberus pulled her dogs closer, eyes still fixed on Amira.

"Coco, go to Valeria and see whether you can get in touch with Jeanne d'Arc. There are a few things you'll have to tell her, and ask."

 **· · · · · · ·**

It wasn't that El disliked being able to heal. Short of peace, ne had wanted nothing more, but restoration was far more than the simple kiss of death.

 _Wanting_ to heal was just the start of it, like wanting the Onyx Knights to stop hurting those ne loved. One step further and the complications sprung up. In the way undoing Dromos was mending the world, healing wounds was encouraging growth potential that already existed, but healing illnesses was different. Some illnesses were caused by tiny little living things in the body, pushing those to grow could make it worse. Then there were the body parts itself that grew wrong, those should not be encouraged to grow either. Sometimes, ne could fix those by thinking about how it used to be before the sickness. Like grabbing something from the past and applying that template to the present, but that didn't work on people born with an ailment. There was no universal definition of illness. Wound, tumor, infection, body overreaction, all different.

Today's problem was yet another thing ne couldn't just heal away because it was the very principle gone askew : a pulsating blob of flesh, hair, malformed metal and blood explosions. It was kept in a dome deep inside the city, underground, and the walls were cracked. Plaster had been applied to mend old tears, but many were new.

"Oh dear lord Michael, what happened?" Jeanne where El's words failed.

"Lord Odin had an early encounter with Charioce, " Gabriel said. "See, lord Odin and others of his court have the ability to turn into giants. He was caught between transformations by a field of Dromos and held down. Too large and to regenerative to kill, he survived, but he has been stuck like this for the past six years."

"Shapeshifting can cause instability, I did hear of that," Jeanne said. "Kaisar once told me how they defeated Gilles de Rais using a bounty bracelet. It worked because he was already on the brink of death, yet he hadn't died for centuries because he would just transform ailments away."

"Ah, exploiting the fragile transit of the soul," Gabriel said. "Stealing imago does not make one physically fit for actual transformation, but lord Odin is. It should be possible for Jegudiel to undo this."

"I'll try," El said, giving a look at nur mother, who nodded.

The blob floated behind a marble railing. El stayed behind it, just out of reach of the things shooting out, but wings stretched just inside it.

El set both eyes alight, the red to pry for the disruptive Dromos and the blue to mend.

At first nothing made sense, because there was no illness to detect.

"I need some time, this is new," El said.

"Take what you need," Gabriel said.

Ne would need to adjust engaging with nur magic again, during which ne lost track of time.

There. A tangle of contrary information because Odin was caught within configurative matter magic and adjusting imago magic. He couldn't just blow up the small one to larger, there had to be this extra layer of gravity magic to keep him upright. That last one was what kept him from collapsing under his own weight right now, so it had to be kept active. Having him go to giant form would probably be better.

El began to push against the disruption first, then sought out Odin's awareness. Honestly, it was a little outside of nur scope, but Odin caught on somehow and pulled himself out of the chaos.

And promptly turned into a much bigger giant than El had expected.

The ceiling collapsed, but no pieces hit them as Odin took on humanoid form. His massive arms folded over and shielded everyone from the debris.

El lowered nur power, and the glow around Odin faded. He shrugged off the debris and carefully turned back to smaller form. Once he was only about two meters, he let go a relieved breath and within a flash, the armor was exchanged for a regal tunic. He jumped up to the walkway.

"Lord Odin, we are greatly pleased with your return to health," Gabriel said.

"Likewise."Odin cracked his neck. "Did we win yet?"

"The human king is still in power, but we are no longer helpless. This child is capable of undoing the power of Dromos." Gabriel gestured at El. "Ne has also developed the ability to heal. The powers may be related."

Odin looked down at El, smiling. "Really? Thank you a great deal, little one. Your name is?"

"Jegudiel," Gabriel said.

"After the old one?"

"We felt it appropriate due to the destiny before nur."

Odin frowned. "Since when do we dabble with destinies? We craft destiny for humankind, why speak as if we are beholden to it?"

Gabriel sighed. "Lord Odin, must we go over this again? The way the prophecy has unfolded with Favaro Leone at the center, we must admit we are not the machinators of fate itself. We did not see him coming and I am ashamed to admit, we missed the existence of Jegudiel too."

"How so?"

"Well, lord Michael appears to have used the guph walls we built within Jeanne's womb so we might remanifest lord Zeus." Gabriel gestured at Jeanne. "Jegudiel was born on earth and we had no idea. We didn't even sense the inception."

Odin looked like he'd been served soup with not one but five spiders in it when he spat, "Michael had a _nephilim_?"

Tension cut through the air, and more alarming yet, Gabriel stepped between Odin and them. "I assure you that this child is nothing like lord Zeus's ... ahem, accidents."

"What accidents?" Jeanne asked.

"Zeus liked to get it on with humans. The ensuing nephilim brought a foul name upon divinity. After he became the god key he could no longer reign them in, for they did not respect the rule of either Hera or the four archangels. We had to wage war to get rid of them. That you four put a stop to fornication with mortals is one of your best achievements, only for Michael to do this?"

"Lord Odin, with all due respect, this topic is hardly fit for a child's ears," Jeanne said. "Let me bring my child and leave the lords to discuss this matter."

Flanked by Sofiel, they left the hall as quickly as possible.

Once out of the dome, Jeanne knelt before nur and said, "El, you are neither misbred nor born savior. You're just you, understood?"

Nur nodded but didn't believe it. Odin was just wrong, and Michael was fixing old mistakes. Maybe those old nephilim were just sick with darkness. El couldn't ever become so anymore.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar hadn't counted on being shoved into the Onyx order right away. He had all these plans to speak with his old knights and make them see the need for rebellion for a worthier kingdom and truer life to the code. Now he barely saw them. Probably should have done this any time in the past seven years. All he could do was channel insider information to Essenbeck, but that wasn't satisfying.

He wasn't sure how he'd begin advocating a resistance now, though. With that demon holding the city hostage, the only ones rising up against Charioce wanted to overthrow the entire king system, the most loyal to the gods. No way he could even begin suggesting cooperation with the demons.

Every day, Olivia hung new victims over the wall. Still no demands. She hadn't even placed guards at the barrier.

The Onyx Knights had been trying to find weaknesses ever since its inception. At first it was theorized the surface was too smooth and the zommorods couldn't encapulsate it. Eventually they found it weak against demon magic, but only insofar it thinned a little. The zommorod power still didn't have much to hold onto.

Kaisar had come to understand the power of Dromos as something like claws. That barrier was like jello and ice at the same time. Malleable but always reforming, like it just shrugged Dromos off.

So today it as Merlin's turn. Nobody confirmed it really, but there was word of her mixed heritage. Maybe that might matter.

She arrived on horseback accompanied by the Orleans Knights. They brought her to the habor, which lacked the separated wall between the housing districts. The place had been emptied for the Onyx Knights to work, and now for Merlin, but her presence had drawn a crowd. Overhearing the murmurs, many of the citizens were curious for what she would bring to the table. Tales of old glorious knights warmed Kaisar's heart, but the woman herself looked cold as she stepped off.

Dias sided up to Kaisar. "How are you holding up, captain?"

"As well as I might," Kaisar said. "Have you asked around with the demon division?"

"The collarless don't want to take risks. The collared are as you'd expect : obedient out of fear but eager to leave. None of them are close to the human divisions. Among those, there are doubters though. Quite a lot, especially with the rumors of saint Jeanne's appearance. Some have seen her themselves."

Merlin cast them a sharp sideglance and they shut up. Dias went about ensuring the area was clear from spectators, while Kaisar held a back line defense for his new unit.

Flanked by top Onyx Knights, Merlin placed her hands on the invisible barrier. At her sign, they launched another barrage of green power at it.

To outsiders she looked lost on concentration. Kaisar couldn't really sense anything of what she did, but Rocky twitched in odd ways as she worked.

A strangled noise behind had Kaisar turned around. A young knight gasped for air, but nothing appeared wrong.

A little further down the docks, another knight started swaying on his feet to the confusion of those around.

Even Dias acted strange, turned around as if looking for something, but there was nothing. Commoners clearer, there were only knights on the docks.

"Did you know you're going to destroy the Orleans Knights?" something whispered in his ears. "Did you know—"

Rocky did something, pushing the rushing blood to his ears. The magic weakened, but only for himself.

When Merlin removed her hand, the Onyx Knights ceased their attack. They had made no progress.

"As if it comes from nowhere," she said.

"What does that mean?"

"When a demon casts a spell that lasts in their absence, they create a channel to the forces of hell to power it. The more powerful a demon, the stronger the channel they can create on the spot. This has all the makings of a powerful demon, but there is no flow. Hell wants for fear, it should be weak if there was one, but this ... " She tapped the thin air. "Even if a demon was right here to fuel it on its own power, I should be able to detect a flow. There is none."

"The demon is right here in the city."

"If that demon was so powerful that they could host their barrier perpetually on their own reserves, we would stand no hope of defeating it. But I have reason to believe the assciated demon has left Anatae at least once, all the way to Eibos. This barrier has never faltered in their absence, so it must be something else."

"Eibos? Would that coincidence with his majesty's recent visit?" George asked.

Merlin nodded. When she turned away, she froze.

All the Orleans Knights around him seemed to barely hold it together. Dias's eyes twitched and Allesand was already reduced to a sobbing wreck.

"You're no good here either." The thing chuckled in Kaisar's ear, barely audible through the rush of blood. "You never did what you had to do, not once. Tear them down with you."

Merlin's shoulders dropped and she sighed at the sky. "Oh for goodness sake."

She cast a circle on the ground and chanted some invocation, eyes closed. Once she opened them, she said, "To anyone still with their mind clear, the peculiar behavior of the healthier folks here is caused by Furfur, a demon of madness that feeds on despair. There is nothing to aim _at_ , it whispers at you."

"Since when can demons do that?"

"Magic of the mind was what appealed to Belzebuth, those following him scattered upon his defeat. You would not have faced much like this in the cities under Lucifer's alliance. It works on similar mental levels as this blasted mist. Well, all I cared for has burned to the ground," she said. "This thing has nothing one me, but it will on you young people. Get the anyone without a zommorod away from this barrier, I will cast my own to diminish this foul radiance."

"Should we be worried for what it does to those in the upper district?"

"It likely already works on them." Merlin peered around the buildings. "I shall prepare some potions, if you will arrange for visiting hours. This demon is not very strong yet, a few potions will do, but I need time to make them."

"That doesn't matter as long as they aren't driven against us."

"Pardon? Your own citizens? I think not. I will employ the Orleans Knights if you do not help me. Athos?"

Athos stepped ahead, more or less fine as far as Kaisar could tell. He lightly smirked. "Yes, my lady magician?"

"Good, you're stable yet. Listen ..."

Rocky felt like he crept further up Kaisar's arm, fighting something ...

Orders for further actions drifted in and he obeyed mechanically. Back to the castle ...

Kaisar struggled to get back onto his horse. The pain in his arm went further than the stump, into Rocky.

Rocky was an independent mind, but he found it difficult to tell where he ended and the entity Rita had created began.

The fog drew together into a monstrous shape, some dark deer like thing that smelled of rot. His horse startled and he fell.

"Got you!" the voice said, and he stood before the iron bars in the rain, where the executioner or judge or whoever passed the sentence spoke.

 _On decree of the king, Laurus Lidfard is hereby condemned to death for failing ..._

The sensation on his arm didn't fit, what was — Rocky pulled him out of the way but it wasn't right.

His father's body fell with a tud and he wanted to watch and hope for life and yet he gave up ...

Rocky was gone for a moment.

The pain of reattachment crept up his veins into his mind, and the illusion faded for the gray sky.

Somewhere beyond his awareness, Merlin said, "Why is this man even on your force?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

The arrival of Jeanne and Nina was always kind of offensive. There they burst in with their yellow and pink and sickeningly hopeful plans for the future. It wouldn't bring back Dante or anyone else.

The worst _and_ best part was that those plans might do something.

Jeanne using her heroic status to sway humans _was. working_. It just figured his old enemy would best him even on this.

Nina carried a backpack with some foods, but mostly stacks and stacks of paper, and a few human books. "No flying lessons today, Jeanne wants to talk about who to free first."

"What?"

"About four countries are receptive to the new divine creed that I'm making up as we go. So far, I've been playing up Lucifer's faction as the non evil one, but to be honest I'm not sure that's deserved," Jeanne said. "I can't sell it in moral ambiguity though. I need to assure the people they are safe. In order for that to be true, I have to know whether those I buy free — on heaven's cost — are in fact safe."

She began laying a line of papers on the most level root near him.

He sat up. "Lord Lucifer's side is the less aggressive anyway, you're not lying by pointing that out."

"I didn't quite get the impression you were nice when you invaded my city. We need better than that."

"That wasn't _usual_. I was physically blocked from entering Cocytus. Martinet gave me the impression lord Lucifer would not see me if I did not have the god key, so I grabbed an army." He didn't outright say he'd been stupid, but it drooped from every word nonetheless. He should've known Lucifer better.

"Martinet ... you mean Gilles de Rais, no? He has manipulated me too. Now I wish I could have faced him, though I don't know what I'd say or ask." Nina took over laying out the papers, so Jeanne could focus on talking. She sat on a lower root next to him, close to the papers. "Anyway, Nina says you killed Belzebuth."

"I didn't do it for noble reasons," he said. "And if I'm being honest anyway, it was Bahamut that felled him. I just finished an already dying demon."

"Do other demons know about this?"

"Never kept track of that. Anyway, why did you mark that one?" He tapped a drawing of the distantly familiar Mammon; Jeanne was pretty good at drawing so he didn't have to guess much

"I didn't see her directly but she was described by a demon who's been in the same mansion and assured me of her power and rank. Her master—"

"Slavedriver," Azazel said icily.

"He only wants to set her free if he benefits from it. I don't know what to tell him. Will she make trouble or assist in uniting?"

"I don't know. I bet she's going pretty mad from being property though." He half smirked.

"Azazel, please take this serious. If freeing this one goes wrong, we will lose a lot more progress than we can catch up to in one go. Help me think here."

"What Jeanne said." Nina pinned the last papers to the roots. By now they had a small plotting room, with more paper than root. Most showed faces, but others had descriptions, laws, demands and bits of trading history. "How about we just focus on the ones you're more sure about? These are all ordered by country. Jeanne's most active in Valeria, cause Reinier's got all these old ties he's raking up."

"Fine. Her name is Mammon. She's one of the princes and incredibly powerful, and also greedy. Lord Lucifer periodically hired her to do the finances. She'll get all the resources you'll need, but you might not like the price. I really can't tell you what changed about her, however." Hell knew he wasn't quite making the same decisions as five years ago either.

He continued looking over the papers, turned down a few Nina wrongly thought looked nice, and found a familiar nuisance in Valeria.

"Mirin. She only fell because she indulged in orgies with the moon folk. A total sap who helps whatever random human she takes a liking to, and they tend to be _heroes_. She's bloody stupid too. I once had to host her in my castle and when she found my torture dungeon she assumed I was a masochist. I told her I really torture humans in there and she didn't believe me. Put her free, ask her to help keep people in line, introduce her to lively humans but never trust her judgment."

From there on it was less easy, but he knew a few who got along with Mirin, owed her favors or might tolerate her.

"Oh, and I pointed Jeanne at the bounty hunter hall," Nina said before they moved on to other countries. "Did that checkout work?"

"As well as I was able to from a guided tour," Jeanne said. "I'm uncertain how many of those crimes should be attributed to the demons. Azazel has a clear pattern to who he pacted with. Are there any demons who pacted with, uh, better people?"

When he and Nina had broken in there, he had taken along all of his own that he knew weren't likely to run off to do evil, as far as they could be recovered. Those he had targetted because they were fun to break, or just useful in some cases. No point bringing that up. "Again, I rarely interacted with the middle or lower classes. Most on the upper echelon fit in, but there's Belphegor whom I had no idea about."

He almost mentioned Eligos, but of course, he was dead thanks to him.

"I had a look at Belphegor, yes. Her only pattern was sages and scientists. If I assume that her contractees were only those who committed crimes and there might be others still free."

"Manaria," Azazel said. "I think she was active there a lot. The place practises magic at a much higher rate, they even have schools where they send their nobility."

"Ah, maybe we will find more allies there. Princess Anne sounded rather receptive according to Sofiel, and there's word of changing the civil laws there already. Nothing has happened, but their attitude to demons is less severe apparently."

"How so?"

According to Jeanne, countries other than the one directly governed by Charioce were more open to actually use the unique talents of enslaved demons. Architects might be put to work on architecture and forgers on weaponry, bringing their unique magic to human hands. Those left alive weren't exclusively those just one notch above weakest, lest they got into the arena.

On one side, Azazel despised that humans were getting the best demons could offer for nothing on broken backs. On the other side, those weren't dewinged, dying backs. There would be more alive, more to rebuild a thriving nation once they could return home. A bitter comfort as long as they were still enslaved and with Charioce now possessing a weapon of mass destruction.

Jeanne wanted to form the freed demons into a self sustaining community, who could eventually move outside the cities or settle in separate districts, or renovate local slums; rather than rely on human charity for everything, which would be sparse, and heaven was only as giving as Jeanne could get away with promising. Not ideal, but it would do until everyone could return home. Trouble being that she had no idea about larger scale economics or politics, but was catching on quick and he could fill her in a little. Her expertise was with the laymen : farmers as she had been, and soldier with no name.

Azazel remembered more relevant things than he would have guessed. Tidbits here and there that never had fit into a bigger image. Even if only by name or in passing he knew ceremony masters, judges, healers, traders and tamers. He'd had to manage his own castle when he was about, which connected to a lot of businesses he'd found trivial and boring in the past. Now his people mattered more it was a need he could throw drive behind.

He would run out of knowledge soon though.

Jeanne didn't write down any notes, but tried to memorize it. They went over details until she had them right.

"This will not be an easy task. What this really boils down to is choosing demons who can give off a good reputation. Humankind has a lot to forgive demonkind for."

And here he'd been thinking Jeanne was quite okay for a human. "We are _not_ a uniform tribe, you said that yourself!"

Jeanne held up her hands. "I am aware, but not only do many see it that way, nations are a thing and representatives of them should take responsibility. If Lucifer will not step in, someone else has to, and it is up to me to choose how that will unfold. Like it or not, forgiveness will have to play a part in the negociations that are to come. People forgive those with certain looks and qualities more easily than others, and—"

"That's not the job of my people," he snapped. "If anyone it's humans who need their forgiveness!"

"The point is that this can't be solved if both sides don't—"

"Don't talk of both sides, this isn't the same. It was just me and a few others from Cocytus running loose, most of our people never even left hell and even the worst of us we have never enslaved your tribe or tried to annihilate them."

Jeanne stood up. "Azazel, can you try hearing me out?"

He glared at her, but made an effort. "Fine."

"Fine. Let's talk about what you owe to humankind. If you don't want you innocent kin to bear that responsibility, why don't you step up and take that responsibility?

"What, you want me to do go put myself on display?"

"It would help if you were to get involved once I have anything going, and did so in a more congenial way than you usually are. Maybe some show of remorse—"

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't want their forgiveness. What would I even do with it?" Ugh, that would be so degrading. He had _some_ pride left. "All I want is my people free."

Jeanne pinched the bridge of her nose, as if trying to hold back a headache. "Azazel, whether you like it or not, getting there requires some bending to what my nation expects."

"It's not—"

A flare of pink cut them off. Nina glowed into the early stages of transformation. There were a few scales already, and her wings were out. Why ... ?

"Nina, are you alright?" Jeanne asked.

"Yes, but I need your attention. I tried to say something and you didn't hear me."

"Sorry. What was it?"

"Azazel, my mother always says apologies are not about _getting_ forgiveness, it's for the benefit of the one you hurt," Nina said. "I've never had to meet any of the people I hurt as a dragon. But I would say sorry, because I want them to know I'll try better and they don't have to fear me any more. But Jeanne, I shouldn't do that looking like a dragon, right? I'd just be stomping into their village and maybe ruining more. Azazel's not really in a good shape to be not scary."

"That is similar to my point, yes," Jeanne said. "Admittedly, I wanted it to be him because I know what to expect, and El is safe around him. He just sits there."

"Tch. What could I do anyway? I offered Kaisar my life, he didn't want it," Azazel said.

"You're missing the point. It's not about you as an individual, but as a representative of a nation," Jeanne said. "Only Lucifer outranks you—"

"So what? The gods have a fine record of my past, and I bet Gabriel isn't happy with you already. You can't afford bad association? You can't afford me."

That got her to back off. Jeanne started pacing. "I suppose we have some time to think this through better."

"The nation representative thing, it doesn't have to be Azazel. Actually, it's probably better if it's not him. He really sucks at tact," Nina said.

"Thanks for that," Azazel said, even as he had to quietly concede. Lucifer never sent him for sensitive missions, just violent ones.

Jeanne started collecting the papers, separating them further into piles of trustworthiness. She paused as she placed a particularly dangerous demon into the least pile.

"I hate having to suggest this ... but what if you were to go back to the vigilante justice routine? Go break free all demons whose owners refuse to sell them, lead away the dangerous ones if you must. Surely you can do so without killing any humans? That way they'll know they can't go on, but it won't turn them against demons so much they won't cooperate with those we free."

Maybe. It would mean leaving here, likely only ever see Mugaro from a distance. He should, really. Mugaro associating with him would do nur no good.

"That sounds great! You can survive going down the storm, but you should probably be less sick first." Nina nodded at a recently emerged snake.

"They don't bother me," Azazel said, and managed to not wince when the thing dug back into his arm.

Jeanne gave him a stern look, not believing him. "I will try to persuade El to visit. Ne has escaped from guards before. Perhaps we can go in and out before they notice. Nina isn't under watch, we could slip by with El in the carriage."

"Nina _is_ under watch, or there would have been curious gods on this island already," Azazel said.

"Huh? Really?" Nina asked. "I thought nobody paid attention to where I went."

"Oh, they do," Azazel said. He'd learned that the hard way once. "You really think they'd let a half demon run around unwatched, or that you wouldn't draw a crowd by now?"

Convenient though. Nobody snooping around as Nina was near him. If faith in heaven was strengthening, soon enough the security system would rile up stronger. He probably should get out of here. If they found him here that would get Nina and Jeanne and trouble.

But to go back to that life felt more hollow. Any sense of his rage came with the reminder of how easily he could ruin things.

It wasn't that he specifically regretted the past years as the rag demon. He _knew_ more than a few would be dead if he hadn't set them free. But it didn't _feel_ like it mattered when all that time, he could have just asked Jeanne. If Mugaro had trusted him with who ne was, if they had gone to that island and broken her out and sent her to heaven sooner ...

She might fail too, once her glory faded, once she made a mistake. It was never the kind who ruled the world.

Jeanne scribbled a few last notes on her papers, said a pointless thanks and went up into the forest. Nina was close on her trail.

Azazel almost let her go on, but only almost. "Hey, Nina ... "

She turned back. "Yeah?"

Dammit, this shouldn't be hard. He apologized to Mugaro all the time, for being late, for leaving again, for failing to find something. What the hell.

"I'm sorry," he muttered without looking at her. "For the thing. You know what."

Nina grinned. "I'd forgiven you already, but it's nice to hear. Accepted."

He gave half a smile and wanted nothing more than forget about everything.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita's room had more in it now, so she could work all the time. Progress on Charioce's mother went slow but steady. She was interested enough to see what she could put together. Pretty soon she'd have functional vocal cords and ears, something Rita never had been able to upgrade before she got all these tools. It was worth sticking around for.

Mostly. Today she was brought to the infirmary of the Onyx knights again and found none other than Kaisar lying there. With Rocky attacked to him, sporting a zommorod.

Just wonderful.

"This was not part of the deal," Rita said.

"We will keep him alive, as dictated by his majesty," George said before moving on.

She had him lay Rocky out on a table, poking at the fused rim of Rocky and Kaisar's arm. All black, and veins stood out on both living and dead tissue. The difference between both diminished. Rocky bled now, while Kaisar's arm turned gray.

Rita picked up Kaisar's arm roughly. "Kaisar, your stupid moron, what did you and Rocky do?"

"It was Rocky's idea!" Kaisar said, too loudly.

Rita sighed. "And you just went along with it?"

"Do you have any idea how strong he is? I didn't have a choice! Lord Essenbeck was ..." He lowered his voice to say something, but across the room George scraped his throat. As normal level, Kaisar said, "Anyway, I got in a tight spot."

Something was missing here, hmm.

She flicked a finger at his forehead. "You fool, you and Rocky should have left the city."

"I can't just leave the Orleans Knights! And, uh, everyone else."

She tried to learn more, but Kaisar wasn't the best at implying things. She focused on could do to improve the situation; demonic power keeping Rocky functional meshed so poorly with the zommorod.

Kaisar wasn't safe anymore, even if they kept him out of combat. Kaisar claimed he wasn't really deployed into any fights yet, and the current problem was just a hickup from an encounter with a demon.

None of his nonsense mattered. She was going to have to figure out how to remove these damn life sucking parasites now. Maybe chop it off altogether?

"I'll be alright." He lied. He didn't know anything.

It had been long since Rita had been this pissed off. Couldn't even muster to respond to his pathetic goodbye and hollow promises of everything turning out alright.

Outside the door she was met by Merlin. That was a change of pace.

Merlin had a glance into the infirmary, before pushing Rita along. She waved off Rita's guard.

As they walked, Merlin said. "He is the other hostage, is he not?"

"Oh gee, how did you figure?"

"The king is aware that hand is undead," Merlin said. "And special treatment must be done on the implanted rocks, we know Essenbeck's story does not add up, and of course, I remember your requierements to the demonic rebellion. Is Kaisar your friend?"

"Evidently," Rita said, lamenting the loss of her sarcasm.

"And yet you worked for Azazel, and enemy of humankind?"

"I don't care for allegiances. They aren't out to kill each other so I can get what I want."

"Don't you understand what you're allying with? I've seen the world through centuries, what have you seen?"

"A town, a castle, the end of the world, and this city," Rita said. "As I'm not in need of wisdom for life, that suits me quite fine. What are you really asking about?"

Second thoughts on her own alliances, she would guess.

"I just want to understand how you can have no qualms about associating with such filth," Merlin spat.

Rita raised a hand and tapped the group. A single mosquito landed on her finger.

"Here's something fun : when I revived your dragon mount, I also revived every single dead mosquito in the castle and around it. A few thousand tiny zombies, just flying around until I command them otherwise or am destroyed. All waiting for permission to just bite unsuspecting people, who will then go on to infect everyone they come across. There, does that answer your question for why I am fine with even the worst of demons?"

Merlin's arms dropped as Rita made the insect fly closer, so Merlin would be able to see the tiny glowing eyes. "You ... how could you?"

"I could because I don't care for many." Rita gave her a rare smile. "So you see, this is more of a stalemate that the king thinks is a convenient hostage situation. He gains some trivial things from me and I get experiments with ichor. That is all of this is."

Merlin left, disgusting, but not that likely to tell the king.

It was a risk, of course, to let Merlin onto something, but if her reaction pleased Rita, she might just give her a token to win her over.

There was an element to this beyond playing with dangerous forces. Sooner or later, Merlin would figure out the fog didn't center around Rita. Investigations might just lead her to Azazel's ruins, where the Black Bible still lay. Athos as a knight would've had no idea what he was looking at, but Merlin might just plain sense it. A Merlin a little too loyal to Charioce might just hand it to him, and Rita could be assumed dispensible before she was done playing with ichor, or while Kaisar and Azazel were not yet safe.

Fortunately, Merlin could be poked in a more convenient direction due to be a tad good. It worked to point such people at their unsavory company.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Good gods and heaven above, Jeanne finally had a reason to be happy she _hadn't_ taken that land the former king had offered : the economics and politics of being a lord were a nightmare. Azazel had some grasp of how to run a castle and that was already a full plate. Reinier had been going on for the last hour about the intricacies of some tax system he was proud of having vaguely inspired, on top of more laws and regulations and economy she could keep up with. She sorely wished Sofiel hadn't been occupied elsewhere, she was good at diverting conversations in more interesting directions.

Discreetly, she tried to entertain herself with the sight outside the skyship's windows.

Valeria was such a different land from Teutoikas. Construction here relied on demonic workers to be winged now, and the heaviest lifting was done with invoked ghouls. As such, the capital of Valeria had skyscrapers as in heaven. Ghouls were also used to just shove large chariots across rails from one end to the city to another, making commuting between one end of the wide city to another more easier. And that was just what she could see from flying across the city.

Charioce's guidelines for disabling all slaves, allowing no magic and killing the strongest in the arena were not dictated by need nor innovatin so much as wiping the demons out just slow enough to get the barest economic cushion out of their presence. Once she overthrew Charioce, could she get the entire nation out of this system quick enough to avoid a war with the demons?

Would heaven care to help the demons, or even the humans? All of this could be achieved better with their technology, yet they never shared it. Architecture, economy, rights, infrastructure, all was superior in heaven while here on earth people suffered and died so easily.

The ship docked at the edge of a skyscraper, where they were met by a count. The man clearly wanted to show off his special visitors to his elite friends. Nobility of the typical kind, many of them accompanied by well dressed, non starved demonic slaves. These humans weren't nearly as reverent to the gods or her as those who had gathered to the churches on own volition. To them Jeanne and Reinier were curiosities, to be respected but not worshiped.

The count who owned Mirin talked price first, purpose next. Reinier did most of the talking since said count pointedly ignored Jeanne; after so long in heaven and underground, after years of solitude, the reminder that as a woman she was second class bit harder than it should.

"So you want to overthrow Charioce and seek to fill the gaps of your armies with demons?" the count said lightly. "How nice. I find it difficult to perceive how my Mirin serves that though."

"She has a positive reputation among both demons and gods, from before your time," Reinier said, because he left no opportunity untouched to remind humans he was older.

"Oh, I have no doubt. It is just that she is a little ... dense."

"We will not need her for anything complicated, but for unity only," Reinier said. That didn't fit Jeanne's plans, but she couldn't argue here.

The count snapped his fingers and one of the demons at the pool jumped to her feet.

Mirin was spritely young woman with cranberry page cut and a skimpy outfit to match. Her wings and horns were black at the base faded into teal. Unremarkable among the colorful slaves in the rest of the gathering, with the exception of her being a fallen angel.

She bowed formally, a polite smile on her face. "I welcome the master's guests."

Jeanne's stomach turned, knowing just how this attitude related to the wrist bands with the green gems. Standing up, she leaned ahead. "There is no need to bow, lady of the angels bygone."

Mirin looked up, confused.

"You'll be free soon, and may stand as our equal." Behind them, Reinier shifted uncomfortably.

"I will exchange her in return for those hover platforms and the knowledge how to control them. And ... I want visiting rights to heaven."

Reinier sighed, but Jeanne caught the relief; the platforms wouldn't be able to be reproduced by humans as far as she knew. She didn't say so out loud.

"Will you take the shackles off, or shall I do it myself?" Jeanne dropped Joyeuse from her hand and held the hilt, which got the first moment of true attention to her.

"The bracelets are welded shut," he said. "We did not see a purpose in doing it otherwise."

Jeanned turned to Mirin. "Hold out your hands on this table, please. Do not worry, I have done this before."

Mirin held out one hand looked ready to bawl. How well had they trained her to obey? All the more reason to do this where the other demons could see, regardless of Reinier's discomfort with Jeanne making a scene.

Holding the bracelet in place with one hand, she balanced the tip with the other. It took less prying this time, she'd figured out his to discharge power through it. After the rock crumbled, Mirin was much quicker to offer her other arm.

That one removed too, Mirin clapped her hands together. "Thank you!"

Reiner pushed her along between the wings. "Right, let's go now."

Before the ship's door closed, Mirin waved at the others and yelled. "I'll make'em get you all out!"

The scene changed not one with, and the feigned joy of the enslaved demons was all the more apparent.

Inside, Mirin poked at everything. "So, where are we going?"

Reinier pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are expected to lead the organization of liberated demons."

"Okay, but that doesn't tell me where we're going."

"We are uniting heaven and hell against Charioce and Dromos," Jeanne said. "And hopefully beyond that."

"Lovely!" And off she was to poke at more things.

"How did you get the idea of freeing this one?" Reinier asked.

"I heard a rumor of her and thought perhaps a fallen angel would be best," Jeanne said. "In Nina's village, some feathers were traded so I knew they were around. As for this one, she has a reputation in hell that carries far."

"Ah, I see," Reinier said most stiffly. "You must have talked to a lot of demons."

Awkward topic, time to dodge. "It is true that she fell for reasons that did not involve harming people, no?"

"I did not check."

"Perhaps you should, lord Reinier. Now, have you had word of Mammon's whereabouts?"

"I had word of her, yes. Her master will not give her up. See, he needs her as advisor for his financial endeavors. The crown relies on the stability of the ports too, and Valeria's strong economic position has been why Charioce was not able to push through the strict requirements of his allies so far here. There is no point in trying, the man was never very religious."

Of course. The way she approached this, there would still be many slaves by the time Charioce fell. How long until Azazel and the likes of him picked up murdering again?

Could she set up a justice system, convince them to just free slaves or deliver violators to a court? Would heaven even care to dispense justice for their old foes? Demonic slavery had not been law for more than five years and the values behind it had not festered for centuries, it should be possible to reset to old laws. But none of those were explicitly against slavery of demons either. Would international law work? If the existing alliances to Teutoikas were invoked, maybe but she had no idea how to start that.

Mirin leaned on Reinier's knees and stared. "Oh, you're pretty. I missed being around hot people."

This was going to be difficult in an entirely different way than anticipated.

 **· · · · · · ·**

With weak motivation Azazel explored the caves, trying to find some nostalgia, but roots had overgrown most they'd built as children. A few feathers stuck from a attempt at a spell circle, some were missing. He knew whose, but the names and faces didn't mean anything anymore.

He thought of leaving to do what Jeanne had suggested. The snakes didn't get any better and the scabs on his face got worse, if anything. and he hadn't slept, but this wasn't the sort of weakness that would fell him on the way down. He hadn't really lost strength so much as focus. Charioce had stolen it.

He just ended up back in the same spot waiting for Nina.

He heard her before she appeared. "Hey, guess what?"

"Mugaro's not coming today either," he said when Nina entered alone. "What about Jeanne?"

"She's gonna stay on earth for a few days again." Nina didn't even try to make up excuses for Mugaro anymore. "Because guess what? She got Mirin out, and the angels agreed she can go lead the freed demons. She's still a pretty powerful demon so that makes them more safe, so I bet things will get better now. There's other groups going too?"

Nina sat next to him and gave an overview of what Jeanne got going. He didn't care for the human politics. Many humans were not eager to let demons run free, there were more prominent anti god movements now. Out of those Jeanne did free, some tribe members wanted to reunite, others were forming new tribes on the spot.

All quickly spiralled out of control in a way he had never foreseen. He had genuinely thought killing Charioce alone was enough to make his system collapse. One king down, everything else crumbles in their void, make sure there's no successors, and wham, they'd be strong again. Go home. End of it. He'd have just caused more chaos if he'd succeeded. Charioce wasn't dead, but by using the gods Jeanne was dismantling some of the invisible chains on the demons, and so the physical ones too. In barely a week, she achieved more for his people than he had in years. What he'd done to her city, to humankind, to their view of demons, she might just undo it in her lifetime.

"I wish they'd let me down there too," Nina said. "I'm starting to think Gabriel only keeps me wandering around to make a show of how I'm a light demon or something. She won't let me work on earth. And I'm not finding much new gods who are willing to give demons a chance, and there's more philosophical streams about what dark magic means and why demons are evil than I can keep track of."

The four archangels had considered themselves above petty philosophical squabling once. They knew what they wanted and put it through the law. He had a lot of cropped up rants about that, but no energy to unpack.

"You know, now Mirin's there to supervise, maybe you can finally go down there? Join forces with her. Or are you still too sick?" Nina tapped one of the snakes that emerged from his arm; the sting had gotten so familiar he only noticed because of her attention. "What is this anyway? The darkness you're made of. Some philosophies insists it's sin manifest, but Jeanne says it's shadow magic."

"It's ichor," he said, and because he knew she'd keep asking, "I don't really get what it is. Sometimes it changes us, gods and demons alike. All demons lost their second set of horns and wings at the fall of hell, and I used to wear the chains I was condemned in. Now I can't stand the idea of it and it went away with that. This ... this is something else that reflects me, probably."

"If it changed like this, you're _really_ ill," Nina said. "It isn't that poison, is it?"

"That's as good as over," he said.

"Sure. But you're still sick somehow. Here, I'll teach you something too."

Nina put her fingers on the palm of his left hand, invoking his energy. He jerked his arm away and almost shot away, but Nina backed off herself.

"It's something Jeanne taught me, about eb and flow of transformation. I've made my own trick of it, and I've been using it to put the energy on my back when I grow wings," she said. "Let me try?"

He clenched his teeth and sat back, holding his arm to Nina. She pulled her knees up and laid his arm across. It was always the same places where the snakes emerged, Nina found them quick enough.

"They're scars, aren't they?" Nina asked. "Like on your face."

"You could call it that."

She ebbed away the small surges of power, preventing snakes from manifesting. Normally his energy didn't process consciously, but she forced him to be aware of it by tampering with it. Part of him wanted to bolt,

"You're getting extra energy from hell, right?"

"Hell is emptying," he said. "It has nothing to give anymore."

"Uh huh, no way. I can feel it from below, it's where your snakes are made off without taking away bits off of you."

"Oh ... must just be some spare ichor charge. Hell isn't dead, there still are humans who fear demons. Just less than before."

"Does it _have_ to be fear though? Cause, it's supposed to be faith for heaven but there's some gods who can still do the things others lost."

That ... hadn't occured to him.

"It's always been fear that powered us."

But ... oh damn. _Cerberus and her mutts could teleport further than he could._ He had maybe a dozen meters now, and only a few jumps, but Mimi and Coco had been all the way into the castle. He'd assumed it took long cause they hd to recharge before returning, but what if it had taken long only cause they had to wait for some other reason? If they made that whole jump in one way ...

Nina was right, he could sense something, if only indirectly. She invoked that as much as his own.

"Whatever you did, do it again!"

"What?"

"You did something, and there was more flow. You heal better if there's more." Nina ran her fingers over a mending hole.

Fear wasn't the only negative emotion, after all. Rage too. Spite. Contempt. Disgust. Anxiety ... and others he couldn't put words too, which slipped even more easily.

Hell's power kept flitting in and out like that, as easy as wanting to move his limbs, but intangible. He couldn't make sense of what to think to hold onto it.

Godammit, why—

Too many eyes, he couldn't make sense of the perspectives, everything was bigger and further away and disjointed ... eyes to the side, blinds spots to the front and walls or bright sunlight stinging lamps both.

Kaisar?

A shackle tightened before a needle was stuck into his flesh. Human magicians or doctors crowding, vials and pipes as he began to dissolve.

A courtyard deep in the castle, high enough to have sunlight still, shouting and jeering from knights of different banners.

Here Azazel stood on all four, there he lay chained up.

The ruffle of feathers and snakes pouring from his skin, fed by defiance if nothing else. Chains rattled with every step and he tried to scream only to produce an incomprehensible wail. Another needle into his flesh, another leg dissolved.

Hooves on the sand, blood on the ground, and only one thing felt right : he had his forward horns here, the ones he'd lost since the fall of Cocytus.

Hooves on the dark, cold rock deep underground, and only one thing felt right, here he had the missing horns too.

He tried to grow his wings, but his back was different and he had no hands until he willed it.

In shackles he could do nothing, but on the sand he could pry into the chains holding him, find the weak spots, break free.

"Watch out!"

He launched for the edge of the pit, clawing out, wanting to go for the walls, the sky — Kaisar calling back his knights and raising his hand — teal power bursting forth another needle two kinds of pain of falling apart of being torn into don't go stay here cannot go go out he was out of the green ...

On the ground, too exhausted to move needed more energy and he brought it in, currents from below and he moved again, back at the walls, they screamed when they got in the way.

A mecha sleeker than any broke through a gate, on all fours and much faster than the others, right at him, tore him from clawing in the wall and back into the pit and syrine into his spine now and the spasms took over back into the cage bleeding ichor get out out now.

He couldn't move anymore, nowhere ...

... but here, in the dark of heaven.

He hadn't stopped being here, but the underground and Nina's light hadn't meant as much as the sharp presence in the castle. Far away, less prominent now, were the beasts trapped in the castle.

When the link vanished altogether he was left floating, wings painfully stretched and his back pressed against the roots above. Hundreds of snakes pooled out all around him and on the floor below.

"Did I cause this?" Nina asked in a small voice.

"No ... " At least he didn't think so.

He lowered himself and Nina pulled him faster down by the arm. Gravity didn't agree with him, he would've fallen if Nina hadn't stood there.

"You were out of it long enough for the rest of the candles to burn out," Nina said. "What happened to you? You looked at things, but you didn't really respond. You just screamed and trashed sometimes."

"I was in the castle again," he muttered.

"How?"

"Rita. Charioce had her reanimate my arms."

"He had _what_?"

"They're alive, I was them."

"I don't understand ..." Nina reached for his face, where the scabs were. "And this got worse too."

He shoved her away. "Leave me alone."

"But—"

" _Go away_ or I'm going to risk flying to another island."

"Alright ..." she said, but she took entirely too long to just get out.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The rebuilt church in Valeria became a centerpoint for the operation now Sofiel had sent along a few other gods. Chiron wanted to open a school for humans and was willing to hire demons, and maybe hold separate classes for the children. Not quite how Jeanne envisioned it, but far more than she would have expected from other gods. Reinier grudgingly permitted it, apparently only because it allowed him to return to his old position as revered guardian deity of the kingdom. Urlain was also assigned to the project, with even more grudging; sometimes Jeanne got the feeling ne wanted to be elsewhere altogether.

They arrived to the church by airship. The extra wing was almost done, taking up a fair chunk of what had once been a plaza.

Mirin leaned next to her to peer out the window. She was itchy, after having to spend a few hours being questioned and gone through anti curse routines, but altogether still in a good mood.

"Please don't hit on the clergy. We'd prefer it if you didn't hit on anyone, but especially not them," Jeanne said.

"I don't do that all the time, it was just a jest," Mirin said without looking away from the window. "I mean, I like pretty people but I promise I'll focus on the job, okay? Such a pretty church you're getting there."

"Alright then," Jeanne said, ignoring Urlain's skeptical stare.

There was an entirely different problem once they actually opened the door.

"Hai, Chiron, how are you doing?" And there flew Mirin off, not to any of the people she was supposed to meet, but to a god.

And he laughed and raised his hand. Reinier looked mortified, Urlain's jaw dropped.

By the time the three of them deboarded, Mirin and Chiron were far into catching up. Jeanne and the two angels joined them and the small group that had formed.

"I wasn't doing so good, but I am now! They want me to lead people, can you imagine? Lord Lucifer never let me do that!"

Chiron looked a little pained when he fell under the gaze of the angels, but told Mirin, "Well, let's introduce you to everyone."

"You know her?" Reinier asked.

"Uh ... yes? She once worked with one of my students," he said. "That's all. Really."

Urlain and Reinier both did that thing that Jeanne once had experienced as imposing and divine, but now only could call condescending staring.

"I had a lot of students, really. Thousands. And she was familiar with a hero or two, so I just ... ran into her. Sometimes."

"Yeah, and we always had a great time. He kept me up to date on heaven and sometimes taught me new stuff and I met a lot of nice people through him!" Mirin clapped her hands and wings together. "I'm so glad we'll be working together now!"

"Hmm." And there was the angelic disapproval.

Reinier and Urlain sharply turned back to the ship. Jeanne stayed to talk to the overseers and the architect about Mirin, which took a while. Mirin was oblivious to the tension of everyone, Chiron included, as she went about meeting everyone. At least she was sociable enough, and the telekinetic magic she displayed would be of good use.

Jeanne returned to the ship with a heavy heart.

"Why does he have to defend himself for this?" Jeanne asked when she closed the door behind her.

"Gods are forbidden to hold any close relationships outside the realm," Reinier said. "It is already a disgrace to love a human, but congenial relations to demons? He has violated our trust."

"Is this about Zeus's children?" Jeanne asked.

"That is a factor but not the sole reason," Urlain said. "If we come too close to humans, they lose the respect we need more than ever. One does not religiously practice faith in friends."

"Do you know lord Michael told me before he died? That he regretted the distance that had grown between humans and gods. He asked for my forgiveness for this. I believe it is time heaven begins to honor that sentiment."

"We shall see how the masters of heaven respond," Reinier said.

Not Gabriel. Strange.

The trip back to heaven was silent and tense more than any other. Urlain vanished the moment the door was open, while Reinier escorted Jeanne to a hall before a platform with two stairways leading up. A sword embled lay before it, but nobody was there to speak.

"Why are we here?" she asked.

"It's just an assembly. Your child will be here too."

The wait was long and tense. Over time, gods entered the hall on floating platforms of their own. A few congregated under the pillars to either side, talking among themselves. Jeanne only recognized a few.

Odin in particular had a solid group around him, and it was his voice most prominent. It surprised her, he had hardly been part of palace life up until now.

"How sad, we never knew Chiron had such loose morals," Odin said.

"Indeed," Baldr said. "He is unfortunately not the only one. Have you already heard of the ties of Jegudiel?"

"How could I not? A nephilim and an angel who fell for a human's love, hardly a surprise such things draw together."

All the gods around him murmured agreement, while those off the side were less enthusiastic.

Gods kept filing into the hall, ignoring her as they chatted. Only when Gabriel and El arrived did things become more quiet.

El's lone voice echoed as ne flew to Jeanne. "Mother, I heard you're making a new demon tribe? A better one?"

Jeanne ruffled El's head. "I hope so."

She couldn't promise.

A ring of gods formed around them, where Jeanne still stood with El. Nobody specifically looked at them, but it felt like closing them in.

What was going on?

A theme in all the conversations was what to do with the demons.

Gabriel's voice carried when she said, "We'll get rid of the demons once we have established devotion. We cannot yet do so since too much humans are accustomed to employing them."

" _No_ , I'm going to purify them," El snapped at Gabriel. "I need to learn how and you should give me demons to practice on. Let me go with mother and I'll prove it!"

"El!" Jeanne said. "You are not being _given_ any _people_."

"They are not worth to be called people," Odin said.

"With all due respect, lady Gabriel and lord Odin, I do not believe we should turn down any potential allies," Jeanne said. "They are sapient beings as we are, as we are."

"Demons are only reliable when their own life is at stake," Gabriel said. "They only aided in the shield against Bahamut at the very last minute, and as of now their strongest survivors hide out in Helheim. If they wanted an alliance they would have already approached us. Lucifer knows where to find us."

"Lucifer might be the chief of the current coalition, but he does not rule the people brought away in captivity. If they would have their own leaders, free from the influence of the past, they will turn out different. Give us a chance," Jeanne pleaded.

"A chance?" Odin's face twisted in distaste.

"Hell isn't strong right now, we should!" El said.

"Hell is not strong, but we are not weak either. We are still shaped by the culture around our powers," Gabriel said. "Of course your mother would like her fantasy of unnaccountability to be true. After all, your mother, under influence of demonic forces, has killed your father. We cannot be certain where her so very _human_ heart lies. Hers might just lean towards the darkness a little too much, despite her skills with the light. I can imagine she would like to think demon nature is not _that_ bad."

El turned to her. "Mother?"

Jeanne scrambled for words as the memory of Michael fading drowned her, mingling with the idea her child might die at a similar battlefield. She reeled but had nowhere to fall.

"It's true, I did—"

"There is no need for you to confirm it is true. I have never lied to Jegudiel," Gabriel said.

All El did, bless nur, was embrace Jeanne, but it did not undo all this bitterness. "It's okay, mother, I know about what the darkness does to souls. You're better now, and I inherited Michael's powers so I will learn to do the same. And once I do, Azazel will be back to this old self. Then we can all live in heaven."

She couldn't tell El the truth right here without handing Gabriel something much bigger to condemn her for.

How to even begin fighting this? She couldn't even shake the past.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina was in the middle of going over with Aurora and Qhispe how to spice up the play when Jeanne entered the room, looking about as miserable as a soaked cat. Nina got up at once.

Nina ran up. Jeanne shook a little and wouldn't look up.

"Jeanne? What's going on?" Nina pulled her in a hug.

"I couldn't ..." A sob broke from her, which she quickly put under control. "I couldn't do what I had to do. I'm sorry."

This was all wrong. Nina led Jeanne into her room, away from the curious gods.

As she closed the door, Jeanne sat down on her bed. She didn't really cry, but kept staring listlessly at the floor. Nina sat next to her and waited for her to talk.

"El thinks I'm nur father's murderer now," Jeanne said. "And as much as I want to say I'm not, I can't do so without explaining _how_ I know ... and it still _feels_ like I did it. I did do it with my own hands, and I could not stop it."

"How did that come to be? Gabriel didn't bring it up before, did she?"

"Odin put Gabriel in a tight spot and she doubled down on darkness being a force of evil," Jeanne said. "And I just ... froze. I shouldn't have. They don't want the demons to actually organize, they just want an army of cannon fodder. This isn't what I wanted for them."

Nina planted her hands on her hips. "I guess I'll have to step up my game."

Nina was out of patience. First Azazel got worse and now Jeanne. She threw open the door where her godly friends waited.

"Hey, Aurora, I wanna go out. Where can I get the most people to hear me without breaking into a new station?"

"Well ... we actually can't. We're uh ..."

"You're what?"

"Not allowed to talk about events outside the formal zones of the government."

"Formal what? I'm just a guest."

"Aside of the mausoleum and your remote island, which was placed under fly ban, you haven't been in places not directly under jurisdiction of the palace, and you are not considered a free citizens," Aurora said. "Lady Gabriel prefers to keep military matters strictly within the government."

"Is that so?" Nina spun on her heel and threw open the door of Qhispe's room. "Hey, old lady, would you mind giving me a small lift? Please?"

"Sure, but where to?"

"It's called a new station. Let's try to make it today."

 **· · · · · · ·**

It had been inevitable Gabriel would do something to assert social control over Jeanne. Sofiel had hoped it wouldn't be _this_. If only she could drop her work and go to here, try to dissuade her or maybe even explain why it was so important Gabriel's reign wasn't challenged, or ... or ... oh, there wasn't anything that met both needs. Either Jeanne was displeased, or Gabriel would be. Restoring Odin had seemed the obvious choice too, surely the right hand of Zeus would lend credence. But now, Sofiel's secretary reported a high code.

She set aside the register of earthly staff to read it : Ninati and Qhispe had gone out of supervision, burst into a news station, Ninati declared her immunity to Dromos and was now in the middle of an interview.

 _El Elyon help us._

Sofiel opened vision views to both the new channel and Indra's Web, monitoring the popular forums to get an idea of the population's response. Ninati complained loudly of her resistance not being put to use, informed everyone that no she could not turn into a dragon right now because of her hybrid nature, but Qhispe could (and did) only to lack the immunity, and within minutes a new theory took hold : El's resistance was just a quirk. A side effect of human heritage. Others said Michael just deduced what caused the resistance and acted on it, since unlike Ninati El was much more equiped to effect it on a grand scale. Others said this indefinitely proved there was no fate. Yet others said Ninati looked older than she was, and the demons has just done the same as Michael.

The worst that came out of this was, if hybridzation with humans came with an immunity, _would a saint work too?_ There were no saints anymore, but humans who had pacts with demons, well, there was a whole hall of sinners. And weren't we already recruiting demons?

It was a complete PR disaster because one thing they all agreed on : Gabriel had tried to keep Ninati's abilities under wraps, which Ninati confirmed because someone apparently had told her of the non disclosure forms.

Jeanne refusing to call her child Jegudiel in favor of El Mugaro made a whole wave of extra trouble when Ninati also kept referring with Mugaro to the savior of heaven. A name given by a demon, she confirmed. And everything Jeanne had told those on earth was true, demons were their allies regardless of magical natures. What she said wasn't so different, but it came from the mouth of a technical demon whom Gabriel had invited into heaven.

Cue forums pointing out holy dragons existed too, but that was difficult to push when Qhispe sat right there looking decidedly monstrous.

Nobody had inside information of the hall of sinners databank, but plenty of people had visited it as kids. Mirin's presence in the hall of sinners was meager and mostly related to lust. Mirin had exactly one pact who turned out to be a criminal, and she'd broken it before his capture. Other names had similar dubious connections. Ninati claimed that demons didn't control what anyone did with their pact and cited Belphegor as example. Dante and Eligos didn't even have records.

There was a lot the citizens didn't know they didn't know.

To make things worse, Chiron just had to go online and — already in possession of a group of warriors and sages — politely voiced the opinion he had trained some great heroes among humans and why wasn't he permitted to live on earth anymore? This spun out a section of opinions who didn't agree with heaven's seclusionism.

Some of the eldest gods remembered Hera and wondered whether she could be convinced to revoke her self imposed exile to take her husband's place.

A small group wanted to just get things over with and outright suggested an alliance with Lucifer.

Most of these were not even new opinions, just slumbering ones given an outlet.

The other heavenly realms started pitching in too. Soon a _wham_ arrived through an anonymous recommendation from Kunlun, brought about a human sage who had figured out how to control one of the so called zommorods. Within minutes the venerable Lingbao Tianzun had this person tracked down, found another rare god to teleport to heaven, and put this person before Ninati. On heaven wide vision. Where they proceeded to prove that yes, Ninati did in fact have an potent immunity.

Next, Sofiel got a report various gods had gone down to earth to follow rumors of nephilim.

Sofiel sat back, head in her heands, as Gabriel's began to crumble. El was not the grand savior set upon the world by fate, just a hybrid with the same immunity as all others — factions now split into those believing Michael had just figured that out and those who thought it was pure chance. Either way, Gabriel had taken a random, untested child to war.

Sofiel expected Gabriel's call all along, but still startled when it happened. She took a deep breath and opened the channel. When she saw black hair instead of mint, she took a double take.

"Lady Schwertleite?"

"You suspected, didn't you?"

"Suspected what?"

"Don't deny it. You went behind Gabriel's back to give Jeanne back Précieuse. I deserve to know what you're planning. Is it a coup?"

"Don't be ridiculous! So Ninati Navrátil also has a resistance to Dromos. That does not mea—"

"Our entire strategy was built on that child being created to take down that infernal king! We believed it! Yet that child refused to back down, and so did many others. It was all just arrogance put to the test, and the cost was hundreds of our finest soldiers. Are you backing up in case of the downfall of the council of four archangels?"

Sofiel turned off the channel and all others until the only light was the candles.

Her quiet was not for long. Gabriel herself turned on another vision channel.

"What just happened?" Gabriel asked icily.

Measured, Sofiel said, "Ninati Navrátil appears displeased with her inactivity."

It was more, the dragon wanted to draw everyone in.

"I will talk to her at once," Gabriel said before cutting off the channel. "Ensure that they come to the main plaza of my palace the moment they leave that studio. I want no scene and no clear escort, we do not want to give the population the impression of arrest."

" _Are_ we arresting them?"

"We shall see."

The channel closed.

That was it? But, what about everything else? Damage control? Address the nation? What now?

Sofiel went to work, got a message to Qhispe, got the city guards in line. All as neat as she could do.

By the time Sofiel appeared on the plaza before Gabriel's palace, the space between the collumns and the wall had crowded. Several high ranking gods were here, with Odin in a heated argument with one of the scions of Zeus. The topic was a specific loss during the siege. Badb Catha had died when disobeying Gabriel's orders to retreat, but that could be spun to be blamed on Gabriel if she had supporters as prominent as Odin. Maybe he hadn't been _as_ content as assumed, because this felt like defiance.

When Gabriel appeared at the top of the stairway, the murmuring continued as if she was not there. Sofiel joined at her side.

"Lady Gabriel, what do you intend?"

Her hands clenched. "I am unsure, but something must happen. I cannot let them take this all away."

It did not take long for Qhispe to land on the plaza.

Ninati saw Gabriel at the top of the stairway and put her hands on her hips. "Good you're here, we have to talk anyway."

She jumped off Qhispe and would've gone straight towards Gabriel, if not for someone flying in the way.

Dione landed a few meters before her and said, "No, I do not think that will be worth _anyone's_ time."

"What do you think you're doing?" Gabriel said. "You were not even summoned, your business is with the halls."

Dione cast a dismissive glance over her shoulder. "I do watch the news, and I pay more attention than you do to reports, and my own eyes. This is the woman who broke into heaven at Azazel's side, and now three of the taken sinners work for Charioce. You did not even read my report, and yet want me to oblige myself to you?"

She spread her scarlet wings, exposing the gems embedded within them and her eyes glowed golden.

Nina's fell to her knees, screaming against the invisible force. Her power flared out, urging her into transformation. Desperate, Ninati curled up and tried to stay humanoid.

Dione's gems flickered before settling into a steady glow, she had only intended to get a glimpse of Nina's power. "And not only that, you are the scourge of the eastern mountains. There is a fair bounty on the head of this bloodthirsty dragon."

Qhispe's gigantic paws slammed down on either side of Nina. "Cease your blabbering! She is not aware of her actions as a dragon, you have no grounds to condemn her!"

Unaffected, Dione stared right back at the smoking dragon jaws. "We might hold you accountable for letting her run free, if that were true, but there is no proof that she loses her mind as a dragon. In fact, lady Sofiel reported the red dragon was—"

Qhispe bristled so hard, Dione was knocked back.

"I'm _magenta_ ," Ninati snarled as she climbed back to her feet. "And maybe I am that dragon, but shouldn't you hear us out first?"

Sofiel turned to Gabriel. "Please call upon Veritas. Surely we can resolve this without drama."

"Indeed." Gabriel clapped her hands together, sending a sharp echo through the plaza. "Dione, step back. We will deal with this through the proper protocol."

Sofiel saw no more, just opened a gate and went to the forum of the highest sages. It did not take long to find Veritas in the middle of meditating.

"No," Veritas said. "I've already played with the truth enough, and I begin to doubt what I see as lies; beliefs I do not detect. I will keep out of this and understand myself first."

"It is a direct order from Gabriel."

"You certainly believe so. Besides, what difference would I make? Execution or sealing in the void? The latter is worse."

Right. That.

All around Veritas were others, all meditating, but the pressure in the air lay thick. Ninati had unwittingly raked up old grievances and concerns, which now built into a shoal. Oh order, what a time for Veritas to get all subjectivist.

Ninati had to leave heaven not just for her own sake and Jeanne's, but what her presence and disappearance could mean. An thorn in theories and philosophies with a rebellious streak. Sofiel had one other option to get Ninati out of the way, perhaps.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Come out!"

Quietly, he stood up and peered past the roots. He was in one of the darkest spots as precaution, while the visitor stood near the few lightsray and the glowing new entrance gate.

Oh, her yet again, that damn pest.

The moment he looked at her, she looked right back.

"You're here, aren't you ... Azazel?"

He stepped into view, braced for a fight. She tensed up, staff before her, but did not attack.

"How did you know?"

"A few things have come out in the past hour. We have a small crisis. You and Ninati need to get out of heaven right now. Can I assume you're interested in Ninati's survival?"

He jumped down to her. "What's going on?"

Sofiel stepped through the portal and he followed, only barely entertaining that it might be trap.

It wasn't, she brought them atop a garden on a skyscraper overlooking the outside of the palace. Qhispe in full dragon form covered half the plaza, wings wide and stance aggressive. Odin had grown in size, expecting to fight her no doubt. Nina wasn't visible, but he could just make out the mint of Gabriel atop of stairs.

"Stay here, I'll convince them to lead Ninati to the nearby prison block and then you grab her and _get out of here_ ," Sofiel said. "Do you know the way?"

"I know where the prisons are, unless you built any new ones. Block Veysita?"

Sofiel nodded before vanished into another gate.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina couldn't make head nor tails of the debate that broke out between that Odin guy, Gabriel, Dione, Baldr and the rest of them. It started to feel like she'd made a mistake, but she didn't understand how exactly. Qhispe got anxious too, and refused to transform into her smaller self.

One thing was clear : Gabriel was pulling the short end. Dione and Odin kept talking over her, and she tried agreeing with them as much as she disagreed.

"We have no need for your clumsy governing," Odin said at last. "That you even let Jeanne d'Arc go on testifies your weakness. It must have been the support of Raphael, Michael and Uriel that granted you a stable governance for millenniums."

It kept coming back to that.

"You know as well as I do that Charioce XVII was out of my control? What do you even want with your challenging of my authority and this dire time?" Gabriel asked.

"What we want is no more dependence on unreliable nephilim and speculations on fate," Odin said.

"And cease to obstruct justice," Dione said. "We want none more of hell's criminals on our grounds. Not the hellborn, or the earthborn."

With that attention was back to Nina.

"Who's obstructing justice when all we do is free enslaved people and fight real criminals?" Nina asked.

"Pointless rethoric," Odin said, which prompted a murmur of agreement from his followers.

"Besides, you are doing very little good to actually fight criminals. You _aid_ them. First Azazel, or perhaps that was a ploy to aid worse. Merlin is dreadfully convenient to Charioce, after all. Perhaps you handed her right over. I can hardly imagine a demon of Azazel's caliber would not know his prey and would just lose control like that."

"I did not. Azazel just misses a lot of things. I miss some things too," Nina said. "I was part of Dante's rebellion long with Bacchus and Hamsa. We brought in Merlin and the others as back up, we didn't know some would defect. That should not be a problem since we sought the same as you : to overthrow Charioce XVII! That didn't work out for you either."

"At best that makes you a fool meddling with matters beyond your comprehension. At worst, you may just be an agent of discord, or worse, humans. Perhaps your half human heritage set you on the side of the humans, like that other dragon," Odin said.

"What?" Qhispe reared back in surprise.

"Another dragon of your type was present during the siege. I have seen him myself," Dione told Qhispe. "He transformed into a human a few times to avoid fire while flying. Can you explain that?"

"No, but I can find out," Qhispe said. "If it is any of our village—"

"It does not matter," Odin said. "There are forces that work against fate, as the likes of Martinet have done before, and it should be clear as day _she_ is an agent of discord sent to corrupt our ways and aid the wicked king."

"I say we do as we always have done : the manifestation of sin, demons, are to be eliminated." Dione raised a circle of force, which sent a rain of bolts at Nina.

She rolled out of the way, grabbed her whip and slung it around Dione's arm right as she careened. With all her strength Nina threw her away. She got up at once, sword out. Nina ducked just as quickly and knocked Dione off her feet.

Dione spread her wings to stay afloat, Nina just grabbed her leg to slam her down. It disoriented her, but she didn't even bleed. Nina kicked the sword away only to get a blast of energy in the stomach and arm.

She fell back, the searing pain distracting her. Her skin felt like melting off, she had to bite back tears. If her power hadn't flare to generate scales, she'd have been worthless.

Dione got up and summoned her sword back.

"Wait!" Gabriel called, but Dione did not listen. Qhispe tried to knock her out of the sky but was too slow. Dione shot by her and fired at Nina.

Nina rolled out of the way, and Qhispe's tail lashed Dione across the plaza. Flaring her wings, she thunder, "Don't try that again!"

Most gods backed away, but Odin grew with each step until he was at eye level with Qhispe. One punch to the face and she reeled backed, but stayed on her feet. She tackled Odin head on, sending them both to the ground. He kicked her off, she went right back at him.

Gabriel no longer tried to stop them. Mugaro and Jeanne stood far behind her, flanked by guards. Could she get to them so they could all escape heaven together? Should she even try?

Qhispe couldn't be knocked over on all fours, but once Odin got her neck in a choke hold he forced back. Her claws dug into his legs. Screaming, her kicked her away across the plaza. The wall collapsed under her weight, and she did not get up.

"I think I broke something," she groaned. "Nina, go ..."

Right away Dione went at Nina. She jumped and the ground below broke at impact of Dione's sword, which swung right up. Nine forced her wings out and pulled her legs out of range just in time. But she could not fly well enough, and Dione was faster.

The sword cut into her leg but not through, as she was pulled out of the way.

"Tch."

 _Azazel._

In the shadow of Qhispe, he set her down.

"Azazel, how?"

Dione stopped in her track and silence fell across the plaza. Nina could almost feel the eyes on Azazel, and the fear and loathing within them.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"I'll help." Nina struggled to stand, her glow rising but too weak to mean anything.

He lightly put a hand on her back, pushing back at the flaring power. "Don't. If you harm any gods you'll be fair hunt."

He already was game, so it didn't matter what he did. He locked eyes with Sofiel for a second. Still here. She better stick this out to the end.

"Qhispe, take Nina and get out of heaven," he said.

"But—" Nina started.

"It's over for you. Vanaheimr does not give second chances."

Dione tossed away the elaborate dress and set her sword alight. Azazel summoned his own.

"I'll distract her." It wouldn't be difficult, he was a much bigger catch than Nina. "Don't get in my way, understood?"

Dione summoned two punisher angels, then they charged.

He teleported past her and took care of those first, one broken knee, the other a blade through the throat. Dione spun around and fired at him only to hit air.

Nina wasn't at the same place anymore — where — not there — dodge a slash — there, Sofiel coaxed her onto a platform already moving away.

One of the many soldiers got in his line of sight.

He curld inward and set out dozens of snakes in all directions, not caring how much he hit. He just needed to buy time. Qhispe was on her feet but didn't move yet, why did it take so long?

Martiel charged at him with a sharp spray of water turning to ice. He broke it apart with his snakes, burst through when she expected a dodge, and tore her arm off. Next attackers, more of Dione's punishers. Their helmets made for enhanced vision, but they'd be too dependent. He teleported a short end, left his snakes blinding them and found Baldr in his face. He got his full force with a glowing fist. He fell, but got his wings steady and shot out of range.

Why was Qhispe still here?

"Stop!" The words would've been lost to him if they didn't carry on a forcefield that knocked back those to his far left and right. Baldr and Dione still came at him

"Azazel, please!"

The light came stronger now, throwing back Baldr and Dione and keep him them there.

Azazel froze as he realized what the light meant. Whose voice that was.

Despite himself, he looked back.

Atop the stairs stood Mugaro, nothing like he had known : the eversmiling dark child now was a blonde god with white wings, looking heartbroken and terrified. The fading blood on himself and the marble all around suddenly stood out.

The remaining guard scrambled away, while Dione fixed her eyes on Mugaro. She whispered something and lowered her sword. Baldr backed off.

The forcefield remained as Mugaro took one cautious step after another down the stairs.

Azazel stayed still, all his rage dying but letting nothing of what replaced it show on his face. It really wasn't that hard, after all. What did Lucifer hide all the time? He wouldn't be able to ask.

"I ... I ... " Mugaro started.

He waited, and hated that the first he ever heard of Mugaro had been begging and broken words.

"Can you ... look, just stay put. If I take the darkness out, you can just stay here," ne said.

Mugaro's red eye seared alive and bore into his soul. As if being turned inside out, drowning without being able to die from it. If the cold could melt anything, this was it. He lost shape or perhaps just his experience from it, living into nothing but writhing serpents around a core of hundreds of eyes. For a brief moment he could set hooves on the ground, only to lose that too until even up and down vanished.

The power ceased and he found himself again with a swarm of snakes writhing all over. For the first time in centuries he felt his heart pound, and he wondered how he could have missed it. The scars around it shouldn't exist, but they did.

With effort, he got onto his knees and looked up. Mugaro stood still amid the snakes, half in tears. "You won't came back?"

Oh ... ne wanted purification.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot give you this."

As he forced himself to his feet, Jeanne came running down the plaza. She turned Mugaro by the shoulders, and the last of the oppressive force fell away. "What are you doing?"

El looked up helplessly. "I just tried to bring him home."

"El, you can't. It's not how it works."

The other gods began closing in now El's field was gone. Azazel stood up and locked eyes with Jeanne. "Don't let Mugaro take on the blame."

Not waiting for the answer, he flew away.

Qhispe had left a collapsed wall, which he passed to stay close to the streets. He didn't want a fight anywhere Mugaro could see.

He stopped at the first canal he came across. The clouds looked harmless white from above, keeping a storm below that maybe he could hide in. He'd escaped before, when it was only Dione chasing them.

At that time, he had had somewhere to go.

A soft sound of an angel flying encroached, followed by the the swipe of a sword through air. The red shadow of her wings fell just before she struck.

The blade tore through his chest. He let go a wrangled cry, before gritting his teeth and forcing out a rain of serpents. Arrogant open target that she was, she could die with him and her last judgment.

As she faded away, he dropped down, wishing he could go so quickly.

The wingless would catch up. Maybe they wouldn't let him die. The edge of the boulevard lay in line of sight, maybe if he just threw himself into the storm and light that do the rest of the work ... he didn't want to lay still and have his mind wander back to the sorrow on Mugaro's face.

He tried crawling, but strength ran out before the edge. Azazel breathed out and let it end.

 **· · · · · · ·**

El didn't understand. What had gone wrong? There had been so much darkness, but Azazel didn't feel any more malicious. Ne looked around for anyone who could explain, found none.

A scream tore across the plaza. Sofiel had taken Nina apart, but lost her when she threw herself off the platform in a burst of pink light. Her voice rose to a roar and her weight cracked the marble. Spreading wings wide, she took off in Azazel's direction.

"Nina?"

Jeanne turned El to face her, kneeling down to be at eye level.

"El, listen closely. Lord Michael died at my hands and for a long time I believed I had done it. I never told you because ... you were so pure, how could I say something that'd make you fear or resent me? But I have since learned they were not my actions. The human Gilles de Rais controlled me and Azazel proved this to me. Maybe I should have known all along, because I knew I never had to fear I'd hurt you. There was no inner devil in my just begging to be unlocked by darkness."

"But ... if there's no corrupting darknes, that means Azazel really is a monster."

"He was, and maybe he went overboard today, but then what? When I still believed the blood of millions was on my hand, I knew I would never be able to atone, but I still could do good. I was no longer a threat, so there was no point to my death. There is none to Azazel's either, now. Go with Nina and Azazel, leave heaven."

El hesitated. If ne left now, then what? "But I still have to save the world ..."

It felt weak now. Nur knees shook, nothing was certain anymore. Why did she talk of deserving death ... they were going to execute him? They'd tried to execute Nina too ...

"You think this is a choice between some grand fate and someone you love? My dear child, you cannot hold all the world's fate of the world in your small hands. You are a child first, that is all you have to be. Hide, keep yourself and Nina and Azazel safe." Jeanne pulled El in an embrace. "I love you regardless of your destiny."

El held her close, hating to have to leave her yet again. "But what about you? I don't want to lose you again."

"Heaven will not harm me. Let me sort out what I can as the knight I swore to be. I will ask lady Sofiel to find you once I can trust heaven again, alright?"

With that, she gently pushed nur away. "Go on, I will always find you again."

Alright. Ne flew through the broken wall, down the stairs and further along specks of purple blood and sometimes Nina's roar.

They weren't far, just at the canal of clouds that surrounded the palace.

Nina wrought an inferno upon the gods encroaching on her, standing over Azazel as he lay on the ground.

He ... he did not move.

When Nina saw El, she made a pleading rumble before piling fire in her jaws to blast aside the soldiers between them. The smoke it left allowed El to pass through before anyone could stop nur.

El landed next to Azazel and struggled to turn him over. His arms fell limp aside, the gaping wound in his stomach still lost blood.

"Azazel?"

No response.

Shouldn't have waited so long. El tried to cover the wound, tried to force more power to work.

The world fell into pieces before nur eyes, saw the way matter tied together again. Though more earthly, ichor obeyed the soul and mind of gods, saw no master in El.

"Jegudiel, get away from there!" Gabriel's voice. El didn't look up.

"Nina, we have to leave now."

She fired at someone. All El afford to see was the wound. Nur blue eyes shone, ne saw what to do, but hands alone was not enough. What else was there?

"Please work ... "

It didn't. It wasn't right, none of this was. Ne finally had a voice again and he couldn't hear anymore. Ne had held so much ne wanted to tell him, when there was time and breath but no voice, only music.

Someone reached for El, only for singeing heat to throw them away. Nina scooped Azazel up in her paws and jumped off the boulveard, right into the clouds. El put an arm around one of Nina's fingers and the other on Azazel's wound.

They fell into the storm, Nina cradling them close to her stomach with her paws. El had only the light of nur blue eyes left and the flashes. Nina's claw hooked around nur stomach, but it was unsteady, and Azazel looked like he might drop out soon.

It had to be now. El opened nur red eye not to aim at Azazel, but to try throwing everything out.

The veil of the worlds split where ne sometimes saw people in distance. Now there was a soul in transition right here. El could see, but needed to be heard too. Ne let go of a long held breath and let it carry part of the healing power on nur voice.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Wait, why ...

Azazel woke up to the wind howling and thunder roaring, the massive scalesof Nina's lower side and a strange hum below it. Pressure on the wound forced him further awake, but it wasn't pain anymore.

The force curdely pulled at his own life. He reached to the wound, only for a small hand to grab his.

"Azazel?" The little voice was barely audible over the raging storm, but burned into his mind. "Stay here, please."

Mugaro ...

He winced, and right away the magic returned to pull him back together.

"You need will it along," Mugaro said. "They're still after us and I can't hold you together for long."

A thought caught hold : regenerate _now_ , or someone else might die. At his will, Mugaro's magic moved along the closing wound.

The storm threw Nina around. Azazel wrapped one arm around Mugaro and the other around Nina's thumb, throwing in a few snakes to extra security. Nina realized they were secure now and started wilder moves to stay steady and dodge. As she refused to leave the storm, their pursuers still had to be there, but he caught no sighn of them. Sometimes Nina spun around and fired, only to dive into a thicker patch.

When they finally broke from the storm, it was over a mountain range near a sea. Free of the winds, Nina fell almost straight down. Azazel held onto Mugaro and pushed out of Nina's claws. She braced her legs out just in time to catch herself on the ground and roll over a few times, leaving a long stretch of land torn open.

After the storm and the crash, the sudden silence was almost eerie. He let Mugaro go, avoiding eye contact.

Nina had been singed and both her wings were broken in her effort to soften her crash. Mugaro was at her side right away, surrounded by new golden light tinged with blue.

Azazel stayed in the air, watching.

He was not dead. Mugaro and Nina were with him. The skies were clear, they had shaken their pursuers.

And he was _not dead_.

Dammit, what he supposed to do now?

Nina roared as she tried to move, and Mugaro did nur best to heal her. He could make sure nobody was in the area to find them. That was something. That didn't involve facing Mugaro now.

He circled the valley to get an idea where they were, no such luck that he recognized it. Nobody was following as far as he could see, Nina had flown all the way to the edge of the heavenly layer, and he was already running out of reasons to avoid going back.

Staying away forever or even a while wouldn't work, Mugaro would find him.

When he returned, Nina was on her feet, limping into a nearby forest. She found a grove and curled up against the rising cold. Mugaro remained at her side, but eyes to the trees. Ne saw Azazel soon enough, even in the shadow.

He landed at a distance. If it was up to him, he would say nothing and let it all be, but that wouldn't be good enough for Mugaro.

When Mugaro stayed put, the memory of that night at the statue came back. Was ne still afraid? Was it something else?

Now Mugaro could talk, asking wasn't useless. It just might be the hardest conversation he'd ever been before.

He walked up.

Nina nudged Mugaro in the back and spread her forepaws to pushed together moss and dry leaves. Mugaro laid a hand on her snout. "Thank you, I'm tired, but ..."

The moment Mugaro looked at him again, he stopped.

They waited for the other, but since Azazel didn't have any words and Mugaro too much, it was Mugaro who spoke first. "Azazel, why did you do that?"

"Do what? Sinning, or dying?" That came out harsher than intended, and Mugaro started tearing up.

"I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you, I just thought it'd make things better," Mugaro sputtered. "They said the power of hell makes you evil and I just wanted it to be true so badly, because then I could make all the bad things go away. And I failed to help out during the siege to, and ... and ..."

"Stop apologizing. I don't need it. You didn't do anything wrong during the siege."

"So I did do something wrong just now," Mugaro said, deflated as ne sat down; pulling nur legs up, like ne would try to hide crying.

"You didn't choose to be lied to, and ... " Dammit, this was the last thing he wanted to talk about, but Mugaro deserved an explanation. "Look, I've been close to death without caring much for a long time. Once I loved someone so much, I fell from heaven. I lost her anyway and I was chained up underground to rot for it or rise again the only way they would allow me. It was the first time I wanted to die and I only turned darker for it. When lord Lucifer broke me out, I swore myself to him and lived for him. That's been true for centuries, until not so long ago. When I failed everything and lost all my purpose, I still lived for you. You didn't make me die, I just gave up because ... "

Why exactly? He couldn't even call it anything. He had achieved nothing with his rebellion, and nothing was what he'd come to boil down to.

"I'll never be a god again. You can't save me more than you already did."

Not waiting for an answer, he walked past Mugaro and started kicking the plants Nina had gather closer together.

The silence that fell should've felt normal and settled everything. It didn't. Mugaro just stood there wordless and Azazel felt the eyes in his back. Even Nina grew tense, but that might just be afterpain of her crash. He didn't know. He had no idea about any of this. Signing up for watcher duty or being Lucifer's right hand wasn't ever supposed to include anything like this.

He went with one knee on the ground, more frantic than necesary in trying to get this damn moss to be smooth on the ground. Mugaro crawled in the small space, quiet still.

Oh screw everything. He sat back against Nina's forepaw and looked at the darkening sky. "For what it's worth, all the things you fear from my past ... I'm not going back. If you want me around I will be, if you don't I'll bring you wherever you want."

Maybe Nina's village would, or — all thought was lost when Mugaro closed nur arms around him.

Mugaro had always been hesitant to outright embrace, now ne burried against his shoulder. He had to make himself, but Azazel raised his arms and held Mugaro. Still the same child after all, always so careful with everyone, the small white wings were only natural.

"I want you to stay." Mugaro's voice came out muffled before ne looked up. "If I can decide where to go, come with me to Anatae? Maybe I'm not supposed to save the world, but I still want to do something for our friends at least. We could just get them out?"

He smiled despite everything and brushed his claws over Mugaro's head. "That's a start, but only after you and Nina recovered."

And there was the smile he was used to.

Mugaro shifted to find a comfortable spot under Azazel's arm and against Nina's. He expanded one wing around them, the other closing the shelter. He didn't lean too much; no idea when she'd turn back. It didn't feel like it would be soon, for Nina curled her forepaws further around them and closed as much remaining space with her neck and wings. Warmth started to build up, and he wondered whether she had _decided_ to stay a dragon for longer.

As peace set in, the restlessness he'd been forced to resist since his capture stirred, and would not leave him without realizing his absurd position. They'd saved his life again and that proved the world wasn't fair.

Five years ago, if told he'd have the sole two people in the world with an innate ability to defy the power of Charioce at his side, he would have only thought about how fast he could throw them at Charioce. Now he just wanted them as far away from him as possible. Going back to Anatae sounded like a horrible idea, but Belphegor and Cerberus were likely still alive. Maybe the kids Mugaro knew too. All things as they were, Nina and Mugaro did give him the best chance to get them out of there. If he knew Mugaro, or himself or Nina, it might not just be them they'd try to get out. Maybe it would work better if someone without his pride decided where to go.

Regardless of all the maybes and ifs, going anywhere didn't feel so empty anymore.

 **· · · · · · ·**


	17. Charismata

· · · · · · ·

El still distantly heard prayers in the name of Jegudiel and El Mugaro, the latter stronger. But since leaving heaven it was only a background hum : easier to tune out, but also easier to hear clearly when ne actually wanted to. It was a bit strange, a whole lot of people could telepathically contact nur but ne couldn't talk back unless ne had a pact.

They flew by night and sleep by day, all the easier to hide from the prying eyes of travelers. Nina still hadn't changed back and she stood out so much against the sky. She also was prone to crashing due to being new at flight, El Mugaro had to heal her more than once.

El Mugaro nurself wasn't used to flying all the time, so stayed on Nina's back; wings out in case of crash. Azazel scouted often, but often returned to check in. Usually he brought Nina something to eat too, and food for El Mugaro. Once he asked whether ne needed to eat like humans did; ne did, but wasn't hungry yet.

Azazel didn't ask any questions other than that. Ne wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad sign, cause it felt a little off. But then again, so much felt off now.

The damage with Azazel's arms and on his face didn't go away, for some reason. Maybe they weren't scars at all.

Still, during a stop for Nina to drink, he asked, "Why are these?"

He hesitated before he said, "It began when the king had me kill a ... a friend. Dante."

Azazel rarely if ever called anyone by their name, and he looked so pained El Mugaro didn't ask any further.

All of this was so much bigger than ne could handle. To be told ne was the born savior of the world had been a comfort almost, like being in control to avoid all the pain. This was just grappling in the dark.

There was no going back to that now. All the fanfare and all future military operations were off the chart, cause ne's loved ones were in danger from heaven. Ne hoped dearly nur mother and Qhispe would be alright. Just hoping for a few to save wasn't good enough, though. Hopefully Azazel and Nina would come around soon enough.

· · · · · · ·

"I'm telling you, it's a battery," Trismegistus said.

"And I'm telling you that if it's a battery it should show signs of running out." Belphegor threw her glove on the table. "We're missing something big if we can both back up our conclusions but they cancel each other out."

"Let's take this to the slums where we can explode things without blowing our cover," Trismegistus said again.

Belphegor sat back, letting her eyes drift to the colorful smokes filling the room, so tempted to expand those indeed. Having space for loud experiments would be so useful — one couldn't just implant a rock in human flesh and get an Onyx Knight sans loyalties. It was up in the air how much of Rachel and the other's lacking control was lack of practice, or something more intricate. Oh, if only she could have a control group, or at least Kaisar to see what his situation with Rocky entailed.

Lacking that, Belphegor connected a few wires to the cannister, readying for the next experiment. Trismegistus took a seat opposite of her, looking eager regardless of complaints. They'd be trying to alter the shape of the gems with her alchemy, like before, except Trismegistus would channel away the transformative heat using some of her metal. For control group, they had another gem to measure the difference in response, and a third on which they'd apply a demonic cooling spell (gloves for Belphegor, of course).

All set up, Trismegist hovered a finger covered with floating grains over her sample, while Belphegor cast a circular project to display the heat levels of each; an adjusted spell circle.

Nothing happened, and Trismegistus donned a sour look before she sat back. "Can I come back on being your ward? It appears my pact with Azazel got annulled, so bye bye all my extra magical energy."

Oh no. _Please no_.

Belphegor's focus slumped and with that her entire posture. It'd been a real risk, she'd known that. Charioce's people would pursue them, they were wanted, but still ...

"It was still there last time I tried to do this. Now it's not, which is really annoying. I've got way less energy to invoke now. You can fix that though."

The numbers were still dwindling. Dante, Eligos and now Azazel ... who next?

Trismegistus sighed. "Come on, there's better shit to feel lousy about."

"He still is the one lord who came to our aid, so let me have your silence for now," Belphegor said.

Trismegistus tapped her fingers on the board, but stopped when Belphegor looked up. She didn't speak, just looked genuinely confused.

"I still hoped he'd manage to get reinforcements from Helheimr," she said, and left out the rest.

· · · · · · ·

Jeanne paced from one end of the room to another, not looking at Sofiel.

House arrest, they called this.

For her own good, Sofiel had said.

A little bit of political turmoil outside, Gabriel said.

She hadn't been allowed out the door.

"I am sorry for my part in this all, be it abducting El or sending nur to war ... and setting El on a path of warped spirituality. Of rebellion and all else." Sofiel's pleading tone almost broke her, but the memory of her teary child and her friends besieged by heaven's soldiers kept her firm. She did not need talk of warped spirituality or rebellion. She needed help.

"Jeanne."

Jeanne refused to turn, and Sofiel's tone grew more desperate. "Jeanne, I owe you and El my life. I will try to make heaven a safe place for you two again."

"Us two? How about four? Five?"

Qhispe still wasn't awake, El Mugaro was heading who knew where with Nina and Azazel on a surface ruled by Charioce. Safe was a long shot.

"Please, this won't do. Sit down, please. Jeanne?"

Walking wasn't enough to lose her frustration, so out poured the words, "Lady Sofiel, Odin and Dione attacked my friends and were set to execute Nina without a trial. What _am_ I meant to respond to this?"

"Dione _is_ the trial. Well, she was, before Azazel killed her. She is attuned to the system of justice in—"

"What justice?" Jeanne asked. "Have you asked yourself that? I did not for years, but my kingdom relied on a system of heaven's making where bounty hunters were rewarded for executing humans and demons on base of what humans deemed outlaws. There are flaws within this system, facts not accounted for. I have seen Nina loses her mind when she transforms—"

"It does not matter whether she loses her mind, she would be deemed a threat!" Sofiel said.

"A threat who can be reasoned with easily when she is in her human form! She's never harmed people who did not attack her first."

Sofiel wouldn't look at her and shifted topic before Jeanne was satisfied.

"Azazel is where you got all your hunches on who to free, isn't he?" Sofiel asked. "May I know how exactly this came to be? Did you send off your child to him back then, did you meet before?"

"No. Nina met him, they were part of the rebellion. I met Azazel when we escaped, she went right for him."

"And you just happened to meet her in the labor camp? Pardon my tone, but I must be cautious now I know you brought one of our greatest enemies into heaven."

Jeanne took a chair opposite of her. "Must you because Gabriel says so, or because you believe it? Azazel was in the carriage all the way into the city. I know what guards are around. He could not have just flown up to the palace without being seen."

Sofiel looked so very caught. "I may have ..." She held up a finger. "Let me consider how to put this."

Jeanne gave her that time.

"One, when I ... abducted El, it was after I briefly joined forces with Azazel in the hopes of destroying Charioce. Two, I may have an ability I cannot readily explain : I perceive bonds, albeit indirectly. I suppose I'm not reading danger from what exists between El and Azazel, or his ties to you and Nina. But that is not anything I am read to tell lady Gabriel."

Sofiel set her staff before herself and conjured something out of thin air : a black ocarina, which Jeanne knew from descriptions.

"I found it in El's room this morning as it was being searched." She handed it to Jeanne. "It is of demonic making. I don't know what to make it and the bond behind it. Demons are not supposed to be kind, or warrant my neglect of caution."

"There are a great many demons you and I have never been able to meet. The bowels of hell were ruled by two governments we might find repulsive, but their law is not nature to all the species. They do not pour evil out of every breath, do they? So why does it matter there is a creed that says so? Why does Gabriel allow such innacuracy to fester in a perfect realm?"

"I don't know anymore. Lady Gabriel has never been strong about portraying our war with hell in such an extreme way. The four archangels have come a long way since the creed of Apólytos Deus Mortis — the Arbiter, she ruled heaven and earth before Zeus. By the tenets of the Arbiter's ideology, Michael would never be able to grant you a sword that is both cursed and blessed and no god would have trusted Qhispe to carry them to heaven. It is the Arbiter's old philosophies that still linger even as heaven has outlived it.

Lady Gabriel is no exception to this development, she is rather pragmatic concerning demons. It was not until we realized that Azazel was connected to El that she doubled down on the theory of absolute evil. Or rather, unless the loss of the siege proved her lack of control."

At this point Jeanne wasn't even surprised anymore to learn heaven had wildly different creeds depending on who ruled. Whatever Gabriel's problem was, it might be as fickle as human motivations.

"Then I must step outside all of this or change this way," Jeanne said. "Let me continue my work on earth, please."

"You're not so different from your child," Sofiel said with a bittersweet smile. "You know, El's behavior during the siege was not the first lapse of adherence to protocol. Once, El used that ocarine to summon a unicorn. Imagine, it's a child on a devil's instrument that brings such a hallowed being back to the city."

Well, there was an angle yet to be explored.

"Spare me a moment, please."

Ocarina in hand, Jeanne went onto the balcony. There was no security here, for it was well known she couldn't fly.

Jeanne set the ocarina at her lips. She could not play well, but there was a kind of magic to it that carried further than sound.

Someone answered in the way she had once heard the voices of the gods. No true sound but the impression of it, beautiful in ways beyond mortal song.

She closed in on the balcony's edge, a weak impulse to get closer to the distant source.

The force vanished and reappeared much closer, somewhere on this very sky island — a living being answering her call, curious and not unlike the way channeling divine magic worked. Soft understanding was offered instead of raw power, all she had to do was follow.

Maybe it was well rooted training to trust divine entities, but she didn't think much of jumping off the balcony.

Two seconds later that felt like an utmost horrible idea, complete with flashbacks to her trip with Nina — but then arms closed around her stomach and the beat of wings slowed her descent.

"Fool!"

"I had faith I would be caught, lady Sofiel."

"One wind gust sweeping you against the building and you could've ended up with a cracked skull," Sofiel said.

"If not you, then another." Jeanne nodded at the edge of the greenery, where stood what appeared a horse at this distance.

"Oh my ... You too?" Sofiel landed near the green, where she set Jeanne down.

No, a unicorn, but with a horn far different than the earthly ones : a piercing, radiant green so familiar it would've frightened her if it hadn't felt so peaceful.

Sofiel landed near it, staring in as much awe as Jeanne. "I wonder why this one draws to you and El."

The unicorn just flicked vun ears, regarding them from the shelter of the trees.

"Do you know what to do?" Sofiel asked.

Jeanne nodded. "This one tells me I may learn if I follow."

The unicorn bowed vun head and stepped back, compelling Jeanne towards a glowing green gate hidden in the greenery of a meadow. Sofiel followed Jeanne through it, to arrive at what Jeanne had only seen from a distance : the Elysian fields.

She was here to find an answer and give one.

The unicorn led them to a slope into a lower land not visible from the distance. A single tree in bloom stood here. Here the unicorn laid down.

Jeanne gave Sofiel the ocarina and sat next to the unicorn, not sure how she knew what was expected of her.

The unicorn bowed vun horn to her forehead, and Jeanne lost all senses.

She fell into a radiant world, at first so bright she could barely see. Over time, flowing colors and abstract clusters of translucent spheres and pearlescent plates and cubicles became apparent, their meaning indiscernible. They might be houses, or nature, or something altogether. Rivers of light flowed through them, towards distant dust clouds. Beyond this lay the stars embedded in dust clouds.

Forces drew together far before her into a figure so familiar, she still recognized it, even before the orange color faded into the long hair. As wings unfolded, her opened his mismatched eyes.

"Lord Michael!" The gutwrenching pain of his loss surged back up, far from conquered. With it came the bond between their souls, filling what she had missed for so long.

"Jeanne." He approached at her level. "You have not died, yet you are here?"

"The unicorn brought me," she said. "I do not know why I was given this when El received differently, but I've longed to see you again. Perhaps it is wishes this one grants."

He held out his hand, which she gratefully took. He led her along a path through this realm, or perhaps a river that ushered them along. The sights around changed from one mystical manifestation to another, but did not distract her for long.

"Where are we?" Jeanne asked.

"I am unsure whether this has a name. Spirits reside here and we may see into the world of the living if we can build ourselves a nexus to places tied to us. Mine is to you and El."

She had a dim relief that he wasn't literary ghosting over her shoulder during every private moment of her life, but there was a far more pressing matter.

"Can you trace El? Is ne alright?"

He nodded. "El lives and is well, though I would have to descend to see nur whereabouts ... and companions."

"I'm glad," she said. "As no doubt you know, El has come to mean a lot to me, and I am grateful you have granted me our child."

"I had intended the name to be Eleleth," he said. "But I am surprised you caught any of the inspiration at all. I had not believed myself capable of transferring my voice across to the world of the living. Now that you are here, is there anymore more you desire to know?"

It was a fundament to her world that he was a god most powerful, to hear him admit weakness jarred her more than it should. At the same time, a strange comfort lay in that he did not expect her to kneel anymore.

"If I may, have always wanted to know why you chose me," she said. "Now more than ever."

"Given your company lately, I take it is no rather spiritual answer you seek. I'll keep it down to earth." He smiled. "I share El's ability to read hearts, but I also am a god who must make pragmatic decisions. Balancing these is no easy task. I searched the lands for someone truly compassionate of heart but also with the potential to conduct magical energy. I found you after years, never to my regrets on whom to choose. However, I regret that I made the choice at all. You were not the prophecied knight. We acted out of arrogance in our belief to be fate's agents and so I dragged you out of safety into war and suffering."

She took his hand, holding it between hers. "You gave me a chance to stand up for all that is good in this world. I cannot mourn that as long as I can make a difference, and I am not yet at the end of my road."

"I must say, your road is taking turns I never would be expected, from the betrayal of your king to ... I cannot even tell whether you defy or shall save heaven. I understood we had grown too distant from humankind, but you would say we have grown to distant even from demons?"

"I've met entirely too many helpful demons lately to say otherwise." At this she let go of his hand, not wanting him to notice her tension.

"I suppose we must reconsider some stances we have long held. I and my likeminded have damned the angel who now protects our child with the power of darkness. I met him not too long ago," Michael said. "It is not easy."

"Azazel _died_?"

"So he did, until Eleleth undid it. I ... we talked, if it can be called that ... he does not like me, while I am very ... " He looked almost a tad helpess as he struggled for words. "I do not understand what I perceive. He was heartless once."

This whole display stood out so jarring to Jeanne. Michael had been an elated entity to be revered for so long still, an impression so powerful it was hard to shake even after all her perfect regard for other gods had crumbled. He had always been the essence of heaven and sanctity. Him of all being imperfect in both small and great ways was the hardest to accept out of all gods.

"Regardless of nur's powerful protectors, I cannot agree to sending Eleleth off to the insecurity of earth," Michael said. "It is not what I meant for either of you."

"Then what do you believe should happen?" Jeanne asked.

"I only wished for you to live a life of peace, free of the burdens of war," he said, eyes turning down; perhaps he already understood what was to come.

"And I am grateful for your concern. I have not earned such love and dedication from one of the greatest gods, but at the same time, my lord ... "

Oh, how to say this? She had never known a way to say no to Michael. He had been her everything for so long.

"Ten years ago, that moment I betrayed the gods, I would have accepted death on the pyre if not for my people needing me. I took the pact with the demon because I wanted to save them from my king. That love surpasses my love for the gods. In the wake of the possession, I forgot this because it had led to such misery as our fate.

I neglected my duties. I might have found a way unite the people against Charioce, but I did not trust myself and I took the lack of grace from the gods to prove that right. Now I know more than one truth about heaven, I cannot answer you with giving my entire life again to what you desire. To serve and save is my sworn duty to human, to god, and even to demonkind."

"I cannot express my regret enough that you feel you must go down this path."

That was not what she hoped to hear. "It is not your regret I need, only your understanding. I cannot worship the gods for you are no supreme beings. You are knowledgeable, powerful and long lived, so your guidance is not in vain. But you do not guide humankind at all. You flourish where we struggle. Is our faith more important than our welfare? You said gods should be closer to humankind, but would we ever be equals?"

"That is one of many things I have had time to consider since I left the world. I have no good answer, I'm afraid."

"A poor answer is better than none, my lord," Jeanne said. "It would mean whether or not you will stand with me, and I may yet need your guidance. Perhaps not your insight, but your sight may aid us."

Without missing a breath, he said, "You have my promise as it ever would be. My time is over, if you will lead now I will follow."

Her throat thickened with the knowledge that no matter what, he would never live again. He would not leave her, but she would leave him here.

"Pass along these words to Urlain so that ne may stand at your side too ... " He leaned his forehead against hers. Their old bond was weak, but for a moment it thrived, and she did not so much hear his next words as feel them in the old way : an echo of the gods in her spirit, knowledge to fit whatever words she herself chose.

She fell out of the mystical space as it weakened, the separation an agony she could not name.

The Elysian fields welcomed her back with the wind through blossoms above her. She lay against the unicorn, arm draped over vun back and face on soft fur. At a little distance Sofiel sat, visibly relieved now Jeanne woke up.

After she stood the unicorn bowed, and Jeanne returned the gesture. What to make of this being she didn't know yet, save that ve was an ally.

Sofiel approached, worry and curiosity and awe all over her face. This goddess had never been a distant, glorious ideal, but a woman in the mud who needed her help. Maybe that was why she looked more welcoming.

"Are you alright, Jeanne?"

"I am better than before," she said. "The unicorn brought me to an astral realm of some kind or another. If ve posseses the kind of talent Nina speaks of in gods, then this one's must be spirituality. What I experienced is nothing like what El Mugaro received, yet it was what I needed."

She took a breath before she continued.

"Lady Sofiel, I have met the spirit of lord Michael. We disagree over my fate, but I will go forward and he had vowed to aid my whatever way I choose to go. Will you too? It is not only earth that we must change." Jeanne took on of her hands, holding it between hers as if she were praying. "I beseech you, help me bring peace to the world."

It felt so blashemous all of a sudden that she'd ask not one but two gods to follow her — the little shepherd girl twenty years ago wouldn't have dared to even think it.

Sofiel frowned, and Jeanne feared rejection, but all she got was, "You are still just a human. Promise me to not take such risks as you did before."

"I promise I will be careful," she said, and tried to mean it. "As much as I can afford."

"Then I will help you if you mind what I advice. For all that you may smart, I understand heaven's politics better."

Jeanne nodded. "And I would not deny it. As long as we get the world moving in a better direction."

"You've come like a breeze ready to turn into a storm, and I'm swept along." Sofiel smiled in a way Jeanne couldn't read. "I suppose I may understand Bacchus after all."

That was just about the strangest way to respond. She'd have to find out what that meant, but later. For now she needed to return to earth.

· · · · · · ·

There was't much, but at least it was clean. Azazel tossed aside the clothing till he found a shirt, cloak and boots roughly in Nina's and Mugaro's size. He took only a cloak for himself. After wrapping them up, he shed some feathers as 'payment' to the mechant; really it was just cause otherwise Mugaro would look all sad about some poor hired help being blamed for lost merchandise.

The trade caravan was a long way from their hiding place, but its presence made him anxious anyway so he circled on the way back. Just to be sure there weren't other humans going round.

When he arrived in the cave, it was to Nina's explosive sneezing. After three days of trying to make her fly in the right direction of nexuses she had turned mostly human again, save for the thick scales over her skin. Though their pact had broken she had retained the trick to grow wings, which she now had tightly wrapped around herself.

"Were you cold the first time we did this?" he asked.

"Yep, but it's okay. I woke up in cold places all the time whenever I turn into a dragon. I'm used to it."

"Do you remember anything?" Mugaro asked when she was done getting dressed.

"I do recall _some_ things," Nina said. "I was already on the way of transforming, but can we talk about this later? I'm starving."

Azazel threw the clothes and would've turned around right away, but Nina said, "Actually, I'd like veggies now. Mugaro, can you find them in the mountains?"

Mugaro was already nodding halfway through. "Count on me. I always did this for mother, I know the best!"

No way he'd let Mugaro go alone, so Nina getting up and in the way was a problem; her arms were still long and clawed enough to reach both walls. Mugaro smiled and was off.

"Azazel, don't you dare fly away again."

He almost did, but reconsidered since Nina might just come after him and then where would Mugaro return to? ... probably just come after them, being able to sense them.

"Mugaro's alone out there ..."

"You scouted the area three times this night and you crossed it just now. Is there anything?"

No, not really. "What do you want?"

Nina glowered at him. "You were trying to die, weren't you?"

No point replying to the obvious, nor denying it. He knew that face, she wasn't going to drop this until she got it off her chest.

"You should've stayed with us. El held them back, and even if that didn't last we could've just jumped off heaven again." She let go of the dragon, taking on fully human shape now. Her anger ebbed along. "I didn't realize it was that bad. I mean, I knew you were sad about everything and you've done some reckless things before. But this ... I could feel our pact _snap_ when you died. And I think I remember something you said to Mugaro."

"Don't mind it."

"No!" She pulled him lower by the collar, forcing him to look at her. "You've been doing this since as long as I know you, but this was the worst and you expect me to look the other way?"

Yes. Maybe. Dammit, why couldn't she just drop it?

"Do you really want to die?" she asked.

"Sometimes."

"But you agree to what we're going to do, right?" Nina said.

"I already told Mugaro I'd go with nur. What else do you want to hear?"

"It all comes down this? Just Mugaro? What about everyone else who cares about you? I bet Belphegor wants to see you again."

Pffft, she'd almost died because of him.

"I don't know what to do to help you."

"I don't need you to do anything."

He pushed past her and went to find Mugaro. Never could be safe enough.

· · · · · · ·

Morning assembly in the throne room had by now typical reports for the post siege days : slight increase in border conflict, cancelled meetings, negociations more strained, Valeria getting cozier to the enemy, and so on. Jeanne now made frequent appearances and was slowly branching out to other countries. Her ability to sway the masses, presenting herself as above it all and down to earth at the same time was doing a fine trick — Nina wasn't to be found anywhere, though. Idly he wondered what she might be doing in heaven, before putting a check on those straying thoughts.

Not getting any further with breaking the barrier or finding out what its caster wanted. The fallen angel hadn't made any further demands. She just sat there. Sometimes she flew past the wall and set on fire houses too close. A bigger problem was her servant whispering things in people's ears but even that only came on top of already existing rebellions.

Seven years of near perfection and now all these ridiclous things since ... since Nina had entered the scene.

"Jeanne d'Arc has not many any appearances for the past three days. An unusual break," his head of security reported.

Indeed. Spanning September 7 to 16, she had made an appearance every day. The most likely reason for her absence was planning another siege. Her child alone had not managed before, but if Nina indeed had gone along to heaven they had another hybrid now. Or worse yet, they had figured out what caused the resistance and turned Jeanne back into a saint. For all he knew, they were sainting up heaven for the past few days, getting ready to plow through Anatae.

He wasn't the only one with that concern on his mind, because George asked, "What shall we do if the red dragon appears again?"

If George was asking him this again, he must be doubting.

He hesitated just a second before saying, "Kill it on sight."

No matter what she may be to him, he would not let her draw him from his path.

Without being called upon, Merlin stepped forward.

"Your majesty, why? First you reject the aid of the gods, and now this? You can just walk up to that dragon and turn it into a harmless sleeping girl. Why would you advise your soldiers to just attack it? You're going _to fight Bahamut_ , the very least you can do is not waste your troops."

"That is a last resort," he said. It should be.

"With all due respect, this enemy will spare you. You are able to tame her where she only holds down before Lao, and she left her guarding position once she saw you. Let it be your first resort."

Maybe he _should_ make use of Nina's weakness for him ... but no. She was his weakness too.

"You are aware of Lao's report. If we meet her again, we may expect her to have shared the information with her new allies. We will take no risks," Charioce said. "There will be no weakness in us."

"I meant to insinuate you are her weakness, not the other way around." The way Merlin tilted her head back was a little infuriating. She thought she was wiser than him?

"If you have a greater concern, you may as well speak all of it."

"I will gladly take the invitation, your majesty. Your strange tie to this dragon is not your only temptation that you resist the wrong way. Do you truly understand what you brought within your palace with that master of death? She is a time bomb waiting to explode. Can you tell me how?"

"Do not test me, or I may test how much of your considerable magic stems from demonic blood yet," he said.

She pressed her lips together and seethed only in her eyes. "What do you try to prove, your majesty?"

Ladislao set a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back in line with his immense strength. When she cast him an affronted look, he said, "Will any of that matter if it leaves humankind standing strong in the end?"

"Getting there is what concerns me," she said.

"His majesty has come so far already, more than any human in the history of the world," he said. "Why not trust him?"

"Indeed," Arduino said, setting in motion a fine tuned choir of blabbered faith from his advisors.

Charioce was not so foolish to fall for idle chatter alone, nor would Merlin.

"I do not deny that his majesty is the best chance the world has, but that does not absolve him of any advice." She stepped away from the advisors, almost like daring him. "Your majesty, at least give me the death master's staff, so I can figure out myself how to control my zombie dragon," Merlin said. "She has proved difficult to work with."

"Very well, if that sets you at ease," he said, without it setting him at ease. If only he didn't need her. Athos proved quite a fine knight without any trouble, Merlin on the other hand had something he couldn't quite get a hold on. None the less because being given this token satisfied her so well.

· · · · · · ·

It was in the king's habit to arrest people who got in the way of orderly proceedings. Kaisar had always proudly upheld his duties even when it concerned the recent protests, but joining the Onyx Knights had landed him a new perspective. Those too disruptive were dealt with by the task force, to be sentenced to the island eventually. They knew he might have been one of their targets once and liked to remind him was loudly regretting they hadn't captured Favaro Leone.

Today they didn't laugh about Favaro, though.

It should've been a routine job. The Orleans Knights were already there, so the screaming and beating had started. The Onyx Knights had to just get one person : Augustin Cluysenaar was the suspected ringleader organizing the protests, one of the very few religious figures who had not yet moved out of Anatae. He owned a small church in the lower ring, which he claimed to have miraculously escaped from due to the blessing of the gods. Now he led loud but peaceful protests and Kaisar could practically hear Belphegor chastise him in the back of his mind.

It would've all been standard if not for a flash of reddish brown shooting by far faster than any human could be, and grabbing their target right from under George's nose. Kaisar knew who it was right away even if he was inhumanly fast now.

"Hey, all of you. Nice day of the dead, isn't it?"

Favaro perched on a roof opposite of this street side, old man swung over his shoulder and fox tail flicked about.

"Put me down, vile demon!" Cluysenaar spat.

"Man, I used to get paid for beating bad guys, now I get this," Favaro said with a grin. "Sorry, old man, no martyrdom today."

He saluted the knights and tossed the old man up, where a winged demon swung by to catch him.

A strange song rose from all around, the mist thickened around Favaro. All they heard was him jumping away, and even that was muffled.

"Follow him!" George called.

Following didn't work so well. The zommorods might help them resist the mist's illusionary effects and did exactly nothing about the impenetrable mist itself. Wyverns were brought in to track by air and flares were shot, but they could barely see more than five meters ahead. As long as the sourceless song sounded, the mist only thickened.

He was sent off with another to scout around the streets, only to drain much faster than the others. The zommorod improved his physical ability a lot, but more often than not he was hauled around by Rocky's supernatural strength. The power did not seep all the way into his body, yet, or perhaps that took time.

They returned to the castle unsuccessful. He spent the rest of his time interrogated and reporting — they suspected him of having tipped Favaro off. It was just bullying, they had no evidence.

By evening he could depart the castle. He decided to go home, half hoping he might meet Favaro on the way.

Kaisar entered his mansion as quietly as possible, not wishing to wake Felicia and ... uh ... everyone was awake already.

By the way, there was an everyone : his house was absolutely swarming with demons.

Who all froze or ran when they saw the guy in Onyx armor. Oh, right.

A strange woman with glasses came down the stairs, followed by Belphegor.

Rocky raised up and waved at her, causing the bespectacled woman to give him a confused look. Belphegor passed by her.

"Kaisar?" Belphegor pried the helmet off and glared at him. "What on earth are you doing?"

"That's a great question," Favaro said. "You had every chance to bail to us, and you bail to Essenbeck?"

"I am now an insider for the Black Troupe," he said. "It gives me a chance to undermine the court from the inside and to persuade my fellow Orleans Knights to pursue the right path!"

"You're not part of those anymore, are you?" Favaro said.

"I didn't expect to be reassigned, but I assure you I've been working anyway."

"Hmmhmm. We noticed." Favaro nodded at a corner of the central living room, where Augustin sat with his hands clasped in prayer and eyes firmly shut.

"We tried to get in touch with the Sacred Circle cause the Red Troupe only exchanges goods for specific hostages that we don't have. Found out he was on your hit list so we got him out," Belphegor said. "He's been less than grateful."

All furniture in the living room was unwrapped from its sheets. A group of men sat around the dinner table, maps and merchandise strewn about. Among them were two demons, going over demands. Sofas and benches had been dragged from other rooms to seat more people. Someone sewed here, another estimated the weight of bags there.

All but Augustin had their eyes on him.

"What is going on here?" he asked.

Felicia shuffled in the room, she must've been listening in.

"You are unaware of all this, master Kaisar? I thought that since you brought in miss Belphegor you were connected to the rebellions."

"I was only indirectly. I have a history with one of their members — not _that_ kind of history, mind you." He gestured at the room. "And I certainly had no idea of this. Honestly, all I wanted was the rebellion to disperse in peace and, and ... what did any of them even bring? The king still reigns, except now more people are dead!"

"And more will die if we don't get rid of that scum on the throne with all his warmongering," said a redhaired man at the table. "If we don't try, how will we ever get there?"

"There has to be a way to resolve this in peace."

The entire room groaned.

"Who is this guy anyway?" the redhead asked. "I guess since we're not panicking so he's not that in league with the king, but he doesn't sound very helpful either."

"This mansion belongs to him," Belphegor said. "I may have taken the liberty to move in here without asking. I'm certain he won't turn us in, however. He kept me safe here without fail."

"Huh. Sorry for your wine cellar," the man said.

"What about my wine cellar?"

"Kaput," the man said. "Anyway, why are your buddies after the Sacred Circle?"

Kaisar opened his mouth, but found he wasn't all that sure. Ringleader of peaceful protests helping people escape sounded very off with three starved demons at that table, stuffing themselves.

"I ... uh, what does he do anyway?" Kaisar asked.

"He won't talk with us about that," the man said. "Really, what a hassle."

"With all due respect, whatever would we speak of?" Augustin said. "I am a man of faith and have no words that a demon may value."

"Sinners this, sinners that." The redheaded man leaned back. "But you sure have no problem chilling with the crimes of the aristrocracy."

Augustin pressed his lips together. "Well, let's just say we might have done some money laundering in exchange for nobles covering for us. We did not get into the open until recently, and then only in support of the crowds. That does not mean we will align ourselves to the vile sins of demonkind."

"The king's information network suspects you have been smuggling away people who voiced incrimination opinions on the king," Kaisar said. "It would be better if you go into hiding."

"In the hypothetical case that I might be sending a few good souls to safer kingdoms, that would not be better for the next person I might hypothetically save from the king's wrath," Augustin said. "I have no desire to speak further with a man who proudly serves this blasphemous king _and_ is in league with that vile angel tormenting our good citizens."

"We've been trying to tell you, Olivia does not represent all demons!" Belphegor said, but got no response.

"I certainly recall quite a long, blood history before this most recent stunt, even after the fall of Cocytus. Dead nobles every month, countless traders killed," he said to Kaisar instead.

"No that was Azazel," Kaisar said. "He's acting independent from Olivia."

Augustin raised an eyebrow. "You mean the demon slain by saint Jeanne d'Arc?"

"Uh, yes."

He tapped the cross sign. "Dear heaven above. Did the vile spirit resurrect?"

"Nah, he can teleport. Pazuzu's a goner though," Favaro said. "Pretty sure he's against Olivia. Really, we could have worse allies."

"Right. If you'll excuse me, I'm going back to praying. I'm sure the newborn savior Jegudiel will guide us along the right way, unlike _this_ unhallowed union."

· · · · · · ·

"Are you okay, Mugaro?" Nina asked as they walked across the grassy fields.

Mugaro rubbed nur head yet again. "I'm not ill, it's just I keep hearing prayers and there's a few people who are really intense about it. I hear those louder. They're really demanding, and kinda sad. And embarassing."

"You can't shut it down?"

"No, I don't think so? Don't worry, I'll sleep it off. We're almost home!" Ne pointed ahead.

Nina wouldn't have guessed that the ruined church on the hills was the home of Azazel and Mugaro. So obvious if one knew where it was, but of course only if one expected to find squatters from heaven.

It was chilly inside, the autumn nights bringing nothing to the broken walls. An eerie power radiated all throughout it, which she followed to a shelf in a side room. Some of Rita's books stood here, including the Black Bible. Careful Nina lifted it from the shelf.

"Hey, Azazel, this thing is still on. I wonder Rita meant it to?"

"Take it along, we'll figure it out later," he said.

The stairway of the lower levels had collapsed, but the operating room right below the empty bell peak was their home. Azazel usually flew Mugaro up there, but there was a hidden rope ladder that Mugaro could fold up and down as needed.

"That's okay, I can just fly." She unfolded her wings from below the cloak.

Azazel took the Black Bible from her and without a word janked the rope, sending the ladder hurling down.

"Oh, come on, I'm not _that_ bad."

Azazel gave her a most deadpan stare.

Mugaro nodded sagely. "Mother asked whether in case of Charioce invading heaven I could carry her. Even if you were around. It's okay Nina, you're just new to this. I'm sure you'll get better!"

Fine, she used the ladder.

It went all the way to the chamber just below the empty clocktower. The bells were gone and the holes had been patched, making for a cozy if terribly packed living room. Ramshackle furniture poorly divided the room into bedside and kitchen. A crudely raised wall separated a bathroom.

Each side had four narrow high windows, most of which had broken glass. They'd been shut with cloth entirely, so light came from small purple lights in lanterns.

"Nice place. Somehow it's very you despite being less tacky dark lord than I'd expected," Nina said. "I bet the moonlight makes this even better."

Azazel just went right for the big bed and dropped himself face first onto it.

Mugaro directed her to a cold metal container contained some food, mostly salted meat and fruits, which Nina devoured. She left enough for the others.

By the time she was done Mugaro had opened a closet out of which clothing bundles fell. A lot of it had been stolen from mansions, from the looks of it. For himself Azazel just had a few variations of an overcoat, and the hat with horn holes in it. All too small for Nina, but coats were wide enough to wear.

Mugaro held up a sewing kit.

"Mother taught me how to sew pretty early, so I can adjust some clothes for you," Mugaro said. "Azazel can do it too, but his nails claws get in the way so I'm better."

"Thanks, but it's got no rush. Let's wait until tomorrow."

"I'm not tired," Mugaro said. "I haven't been since I learned to heal. Oh, but I guess you are."

Mugaro unearthed a whole pile of blankets and stirred the hearth, which had blue fire. "You know, heaven was nice, but it wasn't cozy. I like it best here, it's always warm ... I hope that when this is over, mother will let me live on earth. They won't let Azazel into heaven. If they let him live at all."

"Maybe we can, uh ... " Holy hell, that was something she'd never thought of yet. Even if they defeated Charioce, where would everyone _go_? She didn't know how to even begin solving that. Not that her ideas of solving anything worked well — some mess she had made in heaven. Hopefully Jeanne could still do her saint thing.

Mugaro put two of the extra blankets over Azazel, then crawled under his right wing.

Nina considered Mugaro's bed, but shrugged. She'd slept in his wings after dropping out of heaven, it wasn't that special anymore. It might be embarassing if he was out of his clothes, but it didn't look like he was getting up to do that anytime soon. She crawled under the other wing and the sheets. Three blankets and a wing was warmer than she'd had in days, but with her mind off of the cold it ran with the next best problems.

Would her village be in trouble with the gods? Was Qhispe alright? Would they hold Jeanne accountable?

A snake emerged from Azazel's arm again, but just one. There were much less than before now Mugaro was with him again. She wrapped a finger around the snake and cut its energy source, so it dissolved in her hand rather than crawl back in. Whatever that was, wasn't a physical injury. Mugaro could draw him back from death, but not that? It had to be magical though if it could influence it.

If only being a dragon was so easy.

· · · · · · ·

They would try entering at a peak of forest that branched a little into the city, from was closest to the slums. The barrier that lay around the lower district was invisible and almost impossible to sense. On the hillside it was like walking into cotton and rebounding, which entertained Nina and Mugaro for a few minutes.

While discussing things with Jeanne, rumors about Anatae being in a demon crisis had come up, but Jeanne found it difficult to unravel what was propaganda, rumors, exageration of fact, and fact. Turned out facts were the worst rumor come true : the lower district had been taken hostage.

Picking a fight with this one while Mugaro was here? Bad idea, yet a real risk. So much for keeping himself from wandering into more stupid mistakes. Now he stood here he didn't have the heart — ironically exactly because he had his heart — to turn away knowing Belphegor and the others were still in there. She wouldn't mesh with this at all, and once Charioce felled the barrier most demons were bound to be slaughtered. It felt like his problem now, even if reason told him to turn away before anyone else died on his behalf.

Mugaro probably had known this when ne suggested going back here.

"I never thought _you'd_ be sneaky," Azazel said.

Mugaro just gave one of those confused little smiles and said, "But I didn't sneak anything. I said I wanted to go here and you agreed. You don't want to?"

"Let's just go in."

His snakes wound together in a thick rope that he sent underground. A whole lot of earth whopped out at both sides, and they had a small tunnel. The barrier did not go below ground, but the moment there was free air it closed in. He tried keeping the walls of the tunnel sheltered with a network of serpents woven together, which worked. From there on he expanded it to be enough to crawl through, going first himself. Mugaro came out next, and Nina went in last.

She didn't come out.

"Where did Nina go?" Mugaro asked.

This was absurd. Azazel forced perception through the eyes of his snakes, but the tunnel was empty. He crawled back in anyway. Nina hadn't come out the other side. Nothing.

 _Dammit_. Someone must have summoned her, but why right here? It had to have something to do with the barrier.

Mugaro was looking around when he reemerged. "I can't sense her direction anywhere."

"Stay close," he told Mugaro. "We're going to find Cerberus."

The houses were either torn down or inhabited by demon gangs, the kind that had never been allowed to form in public under Charioce's reign. Here and there groups of freed demons gathered, decked out with looted clothing, riches and somehow still scarce on food.

Mugaro sensed something from two specific spots in the city, people to stay away from. Azazel would have, but Nina was missing and those were their most likely bet. They diverted from the planned path to the nearest : a random block shrouded in darkness and less mist.

Mugaro stayed close before him, but Azazel wasn't intimidated by the shoddy display. Who even relied on such pathetic fog to get an ominous atmosphere when everything was already foggy? Pffft.

He kicked the door down.

All the walls and ceilings inside had been demolished, creating a rather fragile torture hall. Humans had been caged, strung up and flayed out for stereotyptical torture. The pain master was some weird deer demon with tiny hind legs and leathery wings growing fledgling feathers, like it was an angel? Really, this was all a pathetic, sickening display.

"Who are you?" he asked.

With just as much confusion, the demon stared back. "You are not invited, this is my place."

Azazel pushed his wings out and teleported right up to him. Jabbing his claws into the snout, he pulled the demon at eye level.

"I am Azazel, right hand of lord Lucifer. I am invited in whatever demon's place I want to be." He dug his claws through the nose, drawing blood. "Who are you to deny me?"

"Furfur, lord Azazel," he squirmed. "Loyal servant of lady Olivia."

"She and you were not invited to my territory, so _I_ will decide who gets to be called lady."

"That's odd, because Cerberus says it's her territory."

"She's permitted to handle things in my absence, as a member of my court. But you were not permitted to get cheeky with me."

He kicked Furfur into the stomach, hurling him through the wall.

"Tell her to—"

Furfur turned foggy and vanished before he could finish. He tried to find a trace of where he'd gone, no luck.

Behind him Mugaro had already begun freeing people, and healing whoever needed it. A few ran into other rooms, to return with more. They all avoided him, but Mugaro had nur wings and holy power out — it was more confusion than stark terror that met Azazel.

He quickly passed through the place, finding no trace of Nina. This didn't appear to be any headquarters, just Furfur's current playground.

To his surprise, he found a few demons imprisoned as well. Furfur kept them in a background where they were set to cleaning tools and slicing corpses into packages.

"What's going on here?" he asked them while setting open their doors.

They startled at the sight of him, lowering their heads right away.

"We're not sure. That Olivia figure just took over and started gathering followers. We thought we'd join her and it's be better, but she's been weeding out her demon followers. She says we don't do the theme right."

"What theme?"

"We don't know! She won't tell us. She won't let anyone go home either," he said. "She's opening portals to some far off place to bring in more of her allies, but nobody leaves."

Olivia could open do mass teleportation and gates even though hell was weak. _How_?

"We're going to the slums," he said, putting Olivia aside for later, "Follow us."

The further they got into the city, the less sense her game made. More than once, Azazel had to set off a fire spell so the others could pass by.

Clusters of demons loyal to her had set up torture spots here and there. They weren't occupied right now. No humans corpses, but plenty of blood.

Olivia didn't show herself, but they did eventually come across another active torture spot, this one inside a broken down house.

"There's people in trouble there as well," Mugaro said, eyes wide and pleading.

"Fine. But if you see a human knight with too much hairgel, he doesn't hear about this. Got it?"

"Alright, but why?"

He was going to have to get used to more detailed conversations with Mugaro. "Cause he's obnoxious and I'm saving it for a time to point out I'm still better at his job."

This time it was a construction site and the torturers were less magical, so Rita's mist was working here. The humans had learned not to trust their eyesight, but the moment he threw Olivia's servants out and cut them loose, they poured out the gratitude.

"Thank you, sir!" one mostly still healthy man said, while Mugaro went to healing.

Ugh, they probably saw some heroic human with a sword or whatever. Mugaro was done quicker here; what did that mean on Furfur's magic?

"Mugaro, let's go."

"Wait, can we come? We can come, right?" the man said, and Mugaro looked up expectantly.

Azazel beat the fog away with his wings, unable to stand being seen as one of them.

"You can join the rest, but don't bother me."

The human backed off in fear right away.

Mugaro held up nur hands. "It's okay, he's not your enemy."

That didn't work a miracle. Some joined the group, most didn't and vanished into the streets alone.

"You shouldn't have done that," Mugaro said. "I bet they think you're just another trap. Some of them said Furfur did that a lot, create moments of hope to destroy it."

"They'd think that either way, and they'd figure out what I am at the stairs anyway."

"Yes, but until then they would've been safe. They just ran off."

Ugh, how had his life led to this again? Damn humans.

"Azazel?"

"Fine."

He folded his wings in.

Mugaro just kept finding more. Ne grew exhausted from healing but wouldn't stop, and Azazel wouldn't quite stop either. He did put a restriction up though. One could never know who was an enemy getting inside, perhaps with a penchant for stabbing holy children. Be it demons working for Olivia or humans loyal to the king. According to Jeanne, Mugaro had keen senses on who was kind or not. It included him for some unphatomable reason so it couldn't be that reliable, but it was a decent thread on whom to trust. He told Mugaro to point out whom was reliable on whomever they set free.

It was mixed on the humans, but Mugaro called all condemned demons they found more or less kind. That or they were prone to law or ethics in some way; he recognized a few subraces from tribes keen on law. Olivia's theme, eh?

He didn't want a fight with this Olivia (right now) so once the group got too big they went through the houses. It was easy enough for Azazel to cut open the walls.

Progress to the slums was slow this way, and the encountered a problem halfway through.

Just not the expected kind. Just as they passed a street they met a group of humans, mostly women for some reason, whose arms were covered in shards of Dromos. The moment they saw him they charged up, but didn't attack yet.

Forth stepped a human woman in her fourties or so, face drawn in sharp lines and hair pulled back, wearing leather armor tinged with magic. Azazel ignited snakes out of his hand, but Mugaro grabbed his arm.

"Wait, they're kind people," Mugaro said. Ne's probably say the same meeting Kaisar.

The woman looked between them and the crowd further back. "Who are you?"

Azazel stayed quiet, waiting to see what she would do. Charioce never hired women in his armies, and she wasn't attacking. Peculiar enough to wait it out.

"Hey, look who's not dead!" Over a ruined wall jumped Favaro with a fox tail and inhuman jump power. "Great timing. Could be better though, we've got quite the double problem here."

Mugaro perked up. "Are you Favaro Leone? You are, aren't you? My mother told me about you! The hero who saved the world from Bahamut!"

"The one and only," he said. "Say, wasn't Nina with you?"

"Nina is here?" the woman asked. "You're her friends?"

"Yes!" Mugaro said. "We lost her just as we passed the barrier. She just vanished into thin air."

"Shit," Favaro stared at the air for a second before saying, "I don't think that's Olivia, she can't forcibly teleport people. Okay, we got someone on finding her. You come with us to the slums, okay? Azazel, meet our Smaragd Guard. Rachel, that's the same Azazel as you heard of, if a little more, ahem, _challenged_ in the evil overlord department."

"Aaah, that's the sour prune Bel tried to be flattering about." Rachel almost held out her hand, but drew back. "Belphegor told us you were part of the previous rebellion and got close to killing our damn king. Pleased to meet a fellow enemy of that piece of shit. I'm Rachel Reinke. I'd offer my hand but I'm afraid I'm toxic to you."

Like he wanted to shake hands with a random human anyway. He had better things to do like figure where Nina went, then get Belphegor and the others and be out of here. That was supposed to be a priority. Nothing big.

"What's with the tail?" he asked Favaro.

"It's for benefits. You didn't catch on yet? The resistance to the power of Dromos stems from human heritage. Hybrids aren't the only ones who got it, wards and zombies got it too," Favaro said. "So Cerberus is collecting wards and of course, I was her prime choice."

Favaro blabbered on while Azazel zoned out into a horrifying realization : if he'd gotten human allies from the start he could have dealt with Charioce _years_ ago.

Charioce enslaved humans too. He could have found humans to pact with who wouldn't backstab him like Athos and Merlin.

His pride, the measuring pole of his decisions, what good did it do the demon tribe when he didn't get anything done? After all this pain and humiliation, all his people enslaved and mutilated and murdered, after his stupidity drove the rebellion to shambles, after Charioce putting his filthy fingers on him and making him a tool in the annihilation of his own people, now.

Only now did he learn.

Azazel came out the other side of horror with a laugh because what else was there to do? He halfheartedly clamped his claw over his face, but that didn't keep the shaking under control. He just ended up digging his claws in his face.

"What's wrong?" Mugaro said.

 _Everything_ about his entire strategy was wrong.

Azazel laughed the way he'd done so often when his past games turned out especially fun. Only this time it was at himself.

"Is this normal?" Rachel asked.

"Sort of?" Favaro said. "Let's just get to the slums."

Azazel's laughter faded out and in crept the awareness a lot of humans saw him in this degrading state. The bile of absurdity went cold.

"Mugaro, go with them."

Flaring his wings, he took to the sky to be alone. He didn't leave them out of his sight, and went down to a roof to run along, as to avoid anyone seeing him. Olivia getting involved now would be bad.

Reason caught up to Azazel, and he became blank outward even as inside his thoughts whirled — _stupid, arrogant, could have prevented so many deaths_.

No taking it back.

· · · · · · ·

There was nothing here, no sound, warmth or cold, not even the pull of gravity. Not even the sensation of the world's magic. She floating with empty space.

"Where am I?"

"The nowhere," someone spoke.

Last she'd done was enter the tunnel. A kind of magic that had felt close slowly approached.

"You're the one who cast that shield, aren't you? What do you want? Why are you doing this to the city?"

"In this world one cannot harvest from the dead. So reason my attachments. As for myself, I have become curious ever since Amira stirred in her damnation. I saw the knots of fate. You could have been my kin and my parasite. Fate had you for as close as your kind little heart allows : all the world for one soul sounds fair."

"You don't make any sense."

"Yes I do. You know already. We could wait until you figure yourself out, if you will at all, but where will all the dead be?"

"We'll figure you out alright and stop you! No matter what shields you raise!"

"My shield is indifference to the suffering of the weak. It may resemble your own scales more than you suppose."

Out of the the shadows a dark purple demon emerged, faceless, horns sprouting backward where eyes might be. What Nina mistook for a crown at first also grew from the skull. Its skin was strange, organic yet not resembling anything she knew. Wide leather wings spanned less like a bat and more like pokes lined on bone. Its fingers were long claws shining with light. Draped over it lay pale chains with spikes rings clattering about it, its sole sound.

Nina could not move away as they approached, and she didn't quite want to — the way the light shone off the demon, the way it moved and its subtle power mesmerized her. She might have run her fingers over the pearlescent hues or traced the orange light leaking from the claws. She wasn't unaware the demon was dangerous, but it didn't feel like it mattered.

"Did you know you are but jelly in this bucket?" The demon tapped her skull with its cold claws. "The nucleus accumbens ties to the prefrontal cortex to incite positive stimuli while its link to the amygdala lessens. It leaves you frail things less capable of being critical. A little more pressure on the medial insula, a little less on the temporoparietal junction. The ventral tegmental produces dopamime that fuels the drive to win a desired partner. Flavor with vasopressin and oxytocin. That is what is set so you are tied to one you barely know. Fate needs you to be that way."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you want to know? There is no turning back once you do."

"To back to what?"

"So be it." With one swift motion, the demon spun Nina around. The edges of the tail grew into a curled claw above which a pupae unfolded — magenta, red, brown, and horned. A needle dropped from somewhere above and pierced it to the tail — a sharp point went through Nina's head, down her throat into her heart.

"That which you called supreme love is nothing but chemicals. Love means so little if it does not involve sorrow or hate or disgust aimed the right way too," the demon said. "And emotions are only made of lightning and chemicals. Even if fate chooses you, it did it on arbitary foundation. Yet you are a vital cog in the wheel of fate. Little things you _don't think_ are part of the design. Does it feel like you were born for him? You were, once, before we moved. You still could be, if only you listen to what fate demands. What do _you_ want?"

Nina clutched her ears, couldn't even tell why the words hurt. The voice droned on right in her head, "Jeanne already knows you are close to him, but you never even told her about the park or the grave."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

The demon places its claws around her waist, pressing into her stomach. "You could have gotten humans involved before, and you would have learned there are many allies among them," the demon said. "You could have told heaven you knew that Charioce is vulnrable when he goes into the city incognito. What his routes are. Why are you being the way you are, craving what you do?"

"I ... I just didn't think that ..."

"Indeed, you are so enraptured you can't even begin to think in that direction. It slips by you so easily, that is all you are : a girl in lust strung up by her butterflies."

The nails on her stomach pressed through her skin. Blood strings sprayed into the void and mingled with the light of the chrysalis, turning to butterflies that shone through red wings. On those reflected the potential of the demon's words.

"Imagine if you had told Sofiel about your love. She would have understood, she can't not. Maybe you could have made up an excuse for why you know what you know. Maybe, all it would have taken to end this would be a few angels with the ability to create portals. Bring El Mugaro along. Ask Cerberus whether Merlin or any other threat is near. It would have been _so easy_ to set up a trap for the one whose weaknesses you know. _Whose weakness you are_. You did not want to. You wanted ..."

Reflecting on the wings were scenes of her leading him to her home town, away from the recovering world, hiding him there. No more Dromos, just her and the rest of his life in peace. Nobody would know who he was and she wouldn't have to think of what he did. Nobody else mattered, but the implicit specter of whomever would inherit his regime.

"He wouldn't still go out into the city, would he?" Nina whispered.

"You didn't check, though. So you don't know he won't. And if you had, you would know _he does_. Yet all you told heaven was your resistance to Dromos."

And expecting that to do what ... to get her sent to war? Did she really want another siege rather than a quick assasination?

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I am curious to see what happens if you learn, if you accept the tools."

The void fell away, leaving Nina hanging in the demon's hand somewhere in a cave. It set her down and waited until she had her footing before it let go.

All her senses flooded with the return of the world. Her heart pounded in her ears and the invokcation of transformation magic hit hard — it had been cut off whever they'd just been.

"Go to your friends and listen."

"What ... " Nina looked up at the featureless face. "Why?"

"Just tell them I was curious. It will be true."

The demon vanished within the blink of an eye.

Nina wiped her face off, fighting down the urge to transform and fight something that wasn't there anymore. When she finally walked, it took her step by step to find back her natural pace and coaxed her face back to its normal shape. All was okay, she'd just go on.

· · · · · · ·

The slums had changed quite a lot since the last time he was there. New houres crept along the walls, towers and bridges were built. It still gave the stench of poverty, for everything was done quickly and with looted material.

The humans crammed onto the elevator platform. Mugaro went with them to avoid unfolding nur wings, while Azazel flew down to ensure the area was clear. Divesepid was alone at the bottom, not counting the human zombies shambling around. Those were building him a bigger hut, but he still worked the elevator.

A group of demons and humans waited at the bottom with food and medicine. Someone found a relative among the newly arrived, others explained the situation to the newcomers, Azazel listened along.

Cerberus had laid a claim on the slums and implicitly on the entire lower ring. She now was in a stand off with Olivia. Really. Cerberus, the dog who cut the game the moment things got hot under her feet? Busy now to build a small kingdom?

The slum houses had begun to stack and there were far more tunnels. The familiar brimming magic of hell had grown strong, but it was not like home. Purple and orange plants grew across the buildings and roof gardens were full of shelves and earthen basins with water and fledging plants.

Mugaro floated up to him, wings hidden still.

Nur hand laid on his arm. "Are you okay now?"

"I wasn't ... " He almost lied out of habit. He was always okay, because he was a demon. They weren't haunted, they did the haunting. "I just realized I fucked up another thing."

"What is it?"

He flicked a finger at the slums, specifically at Favaro as he chatted with Rachel. "Something Cerberus figured out much quicker."

"I talked with Favaro about the resistance. They're not sure why it's human blood that does it, but the running theory is that ichor's more sensitive to it for some reason. Nobody could've guessed that, it's stronger in all other cases."

He smiled dimly, only because it was Mugaro saying it.

Mugaro looked across the slowly growing slums and all its specks of green. "It's almost beautiful. Is hell also like this?"

"No." It should be.

With a poof of smoke Cerberus teleported before them. Mugaro stepped behind Azazel right away.

"Look who's not dead," Cerberus said. "Just so you know this is my territory now so you better now kick up a fuss. We have enough trouble with Olivia as it is."

Clearly. She was dishevelled and boney, and both her dogs were missing.

"What exactly are you doing with 'your' territory?" he asked.

"It's much greener, that's nice," Mugaro said tensely.

Cerberus squinted at Mugaro. "You're still here? Huh. Anyway, yes, I had Kolraun find a bunch of other plant adept demons, we're growing food. Trying to anyway, it's like filling a bottomless pit. Olivia's been burning suplies. The usual nuisance. What happened to your kid anyway? Small way more divine than before."

"No idea," Azazel said. "Go get your dogs and find Nina, she vanished at the barrier."

"Coco's to Valeria, trying to get a hold of Jeanne d'Arc. Mimi's on border duty cause Olivia's new court kicks up trouble. Really, what is she thinking, making a court on my turf? In my house?"

" _Cerberus_."

"Yeah, yeah, _lord_. I'm not sending Mimi into that place, Olivia can teleport and she's got sources too. Favaro's searcher is much safer."

What was that about, actually?

So he had Mugaro track down Favaro, and demanded an answer after dragging him into an empty cave.

"Remember that time in the fog, when we sent that diversion mirage of you off? Someone helped you there."

"You have a spirit ally?"

"In way. You probably didn't notice with all the screaming back then, but Amira can be pretty competent. Olivia doesn't have Nina anywhere. There's another suspect, but I can't ask. Amira can't hear me because of some magical bullshit."

Oh. Hell. No.

"Who's Amira?" Mugaro asked.

"It's ... " Not the kind of story he wanted to tell Mugaro a few days after meeting nur again while he'd been covered in angel blood. "... for later. We have to find Nina first."

Favaro shrugged. "Actually, maybe we should get a few more people on board with who Amira is. Anyone you really trust, other than Cerberus?"

"Just Belphegor, and Nina, whom we're still supposed to find."

· · · · · · ·

Belphegor had holed up halfway into a wall, struggling with small metal wires that someone had grabbed from a broken golem in the river. There were plans for conducting power through them for heat, but this was all just in its earliest stages. It was also something she was better at than dealing with the ever fragile community that she might be avoiding a little.

A bit of turmoil was behind her as someone knocked over a barrel, but since nobody scream Belphegor kept working.

"Sorry bout that. Belphegor here?"

"Yep, there," Durahanem said.

"Oh, Rachel. Anything unsual happened on the mission?" Korlaun asked. "We usually don't see you till evening otherwise."

"You're not gonna believe it!" That was unusually thrilled for old Rachel, and when that got gasps going Belphegor just had to drop her work.

After dusting herself off, she saw the group around Rachel holding out a black feather. "We came across this guy while scouting, he matched the profile of the allegedly dead guy, who came accompanied with a pretty handy kid and very bad manners."

Holding out her hand, Belphegor received the feather so she could sense it better.

It really was him, it had to be. The radiance of the fallen of Lucifer's court was unique.

Tasro pulled at her coat, wanting to see. Belphegor gave her the feather, which she ran away with to her own craftwork.

"Do you know where he is?"

"Old entrance to the underground, the one with the ruins in the lake," Rachel said. "Uh, be carefuly. Last I saw him up close he wasn't very stable. Or something."

"What do you mean?"

Rachel shrugged. "He just started manically laughing out of the blue, and there was weird magic. That's actually why I asked him to stay at the front, I didn't want him to spook any of the humans down here."

"Right, thanks for telling me."

Belphegor ran to the spot, and indeed there he sat on the broken wall. Within seconds she'd scaled it.

"Belphegor." That was all she'd get for a greeting, though unlike usual he smiled. It almost had her miss the darkened scabs on the side of his face.

He stood and she stopped before him, letting up all her relief, "Trismegistus and Walfrid both lost their pact at the exact same time ... if you're not dead, why did you break them? You have that kind of range at all? Oh, were you perhaps the one trying to summon me?"

"I died a little," he said. "It didn't stick. If that cut the pacts it's cause hell is weak."

That wasn't how pacts worked but who cared, he was alive and back to Anatae.

"We've gotten a lot done in your absence, has Rachel or Favaro told you anything yet? Have you met Cerberus? She's really stressed lately but she's actually good at managing large groups. Can you believe it? Oh, we'll be able to do much more now you're."

They could finally take care of Olivia now they had a powerhouse like Azazel on their side, and from there on who knew what else might happen.

He took a sledgehammer to any sprouting plans with, "I'm not here to stay."

"But ... Why wouldn't you be?"

"You know what happened last time. I've come to get you and the remainder of the rebellion out. If we're lucky we can join up with the demons Jeanne freed."

"Hold it. No, this isn't right. You want to just take like seven people out of here?"

"And Mugaro's friends. Is Cerberus targetted?"

"The new rebellion is much more than seven now. Favaro Leona is key now, we've got ties to the Red Troupe and are negociating with the Sacred Cricle, Kaisar's probably joined, I think, and Rita is still captive in the castle! How are you even counting?"

He averted his face.

"We can still do something! We have to more than ever now that Olivia is here," she said.

"Tch. There's a meeting in the old hall soon. Favaro's about to explain something bigger than Olivia and Charioce."

That was it? That couldn't be it.

"I'll come to the meeting, but I'm not leaving the rebellion in Anatae. I have to find out how Dromos works and I have people to care for. You'll find Cerberus won't either. If you want to take anyone out, there will be plenty others who'll go to whatever place you have prepared."

His left eye twitched just once. Bad news.

"There is a place to go, is there? You're in touch with Jeanne d'Arc about something?"

"Not yet."

"Then what use is it?"

He scowled, and still wouldn't meet her eyes.

This wasn't like him at all and— what was wrong with his arms? His ghastly serpents came right out of the flesh.

He turned away.

"Lord Azazel! The rebellion isn't over yet. We need you."

"Don't call me lord," he snapped.

Half through storming off, he changed his mind from walking to wings. All he left was a cloud of black feathers.

Go after him, or go back and try to play it all off as fine? Undecided, she leaned against the ruins for a while. It wasn't that she didn't have hope for the rebellion without him, but it was lesser hope. And ...

Hooves approached and Durahanem gripped her shoulder softly. "Hey, are you alright?"

"No," she said, leaning against her. "Not at all. I am glad he's alive, but that was hardly all of him."

· · · · · · ·

Nina was just beginning to wonder whether she'd gotten lost — there were so many new tunnels — when Mimi popped up.

"Hey, dragon girl. Why you smell so sterile?"

"Oh ... I might know, but I'll tell you in a moment. Can you show me where Azazel and Mugaro are, please?"

"Sure can, ruff!"

The main hall was crowdier than ever, and a little neater. Holes and cracks still existed, but some of the rubble was being clearer. Orange, yellow and green plants grew in crevices, sprouting glowing flowers.

The sketched map had faded from the wall, but was still readable. Before it stood a small group on the platform, a bit apart from the others, with Azazel's head head towering over them. Next to him stood Belphegor, apparently talking with him.

"Hey, everyone! I'm here!" she called, glad there was no tremor in her voice.

That's when she saw a familiar orange afro half in the shadows.

"Yo, Nina!"

"Teacher, you're still here? Did you get anything done?" Nina said as she reached the group.

"Oh yeah, a whole lot," Favaro said. Nina would've responded more, but Belphegor's look of sore disappointment didn't make sense. Wouldn't she be happy that Azazel was back?

Cerberus growled a little. " _I_ got a lot done and you're _not_ taking credit for it."

"Hello, Cerby. Do we have to pay you more?" Nina asked.

"Don't encourage her!" Azazel said. Too late.

Cerberus got a sly look. "Oh, I don't need her to give me that idea."

"Where were you anyway?" Azazel grumbled.

"I met this weird demon," she said. "One with horns where eyes would be—"

"You met Angra Mainyu?" Azazel seemed weirdly upset about that.

"I guess that's their name? They were curious, but didn't hurt me."

"I met this one too," Belphegor said. "Is this one with Olivia?"

"Angra Mainyu is an ancient demon who predates Satan. After Satan's loss some sought to bring her to the throne, but she denied," Azazel said. "If she is on board with Olivia we have a problem."

Favaro snapped his fingers. "Speaking of problems and solutions, I may have a spy on my side who can help, but explaining this is gonna take a while, and it's gotta be for trusted ears only."

Cerberus began clearing the hall and sent her dogs to fetch her allies : Malphas, Divesepid and all her friends from the brothel. She acted quite like she was expecting Favaro to just drop that tidbit of bizarre information.

Belphegor caught on and included her team, Adva, Kolraun, Durahanem and Rachel—

Nina waved. "Rachel, you're still here?"

"Damn, the dragon girl? You bet I remember you. Last we heard you got captured." She looked better fed and clothed than before, but also worse in that black veins had expanded.

"Azazel and Jeanne got me out and I went on a trip to my home and to heaven. I bet you've got a story too?"

"Yeah, we're the Smaragd Guard now," she said with a grin. The inside of her mouth was black. "So, you know why we were called here?"

"I'm about to spill a big secret," Favaro said. "I _was_ gonna keep it, but Cerberus insists she can do shit better if more people know what we're fighting. We got Azazel back so that changes the tide—"

"We're not staying," Azazel said.

"Right, anyway, who knows Amira?"

Most did not, but Azazel looked queasy as Favaro told his story.

Apparently Amira was the ghost girl Nina sometimes saw around Favaro, in reality an astral projection of the angel/demon hybrid who had become the god and devil keys that sealed Bahamut. Upon controlling the powers of Zeus and Satan, she was projecting out of Bahamut because she didn't like where fate was going, so now she and Favaro tried to change that.

As Favaro and Cerberus went on to theorize, Amira was most easily visible to those on whom fate held sway — that explained Chris and made things more complicated for him ... and herself. Those most immune to fate couldn't even see her if she tried, among which were Jeanne, Azazel and apparently Mugaro.

Amira could influence the world in areas invested with Bahamut's energy, or steer magic of gods and demons a little. Since most her power went to keeping Bahamut in check, she couldn't expend much on that. Keeping Bahamut restrained was a lot of work cause the god and demon keys were supposed to be separate and far from the rift. Amira was stuck within Bahamut and couldn't really see, or understand, what went on outside said rift, and found it difficult to comprehend what Bahamut even was.

Nina tried to find it as scary or impressive or profound as others did; Mugaro was convinced fate was bad the moment ne learned Amira's circumstance, while Belphegor asked all kinds of questions about the mechanics and Cerberus was very skeptical (but that might just be her lack of sleep).

Favaro thought that fate didn't outright control people, but could inspire them. So it elected people sufficient for these tasks. Suspecible. The exact timing of him breaking Nina out of the island was an example, and him recruiting Cerberus instead was an aversion.

It _was_ kind of spooky. Angra Mainyu had talked of fate as chemicals in her brain, was this what she had meant? Inspiration? How could one tell the difference between what was oneself or came from the outside?

"Pretty certain it's part of fate that Charioce is going to try to either control of fight Bahamut," Favaro said. "We're not sure whether it's going to return soon or whether he's bringing it back, but it's coming. He has a layer of Dromos power around it that keeps the radiance in check so the gods and demons won't sense it."

"And Amira says what Favaro did ten years ago was nothing but the pin prick that makes you draw your hand back. So if that thing gets in, Dromos is our best shot against it. A superweapon that is now in the hands of our worst enemy, who has fate on his side. Which is just wonderful, really. Our genocide was ordained by fate, and now we have to rely on him for our salvation?" Cerberus pulled Favaro closer, hands on his shoulder. "So how about we rely on someone else?"

"Wait, what?"

"You should do the trick too, you did it before," Cerberus said. "Make it last this time."

"I don't even have Bahamut's barb anymore," Favaro sputtered.

Cerberus flicked her ear and said, "Right. Amira says it's still in Bahamut's forehead. Maybe you should just handle Dromos then."

"How would you have Favaro control Dromos anyway? Charioce must have the key stone somewhere, but where?" Belphegor asked. "With the way he sometimes dresses we should see it on his chest, but it's not there. Maybe he swallowed it."

Oh, his bracelet. Nina had sensed power come from it back when they arm wrestled. Back then she wasn't good enough at sensing to identify, but that had to be it. She just needed a way to say that without saying everything else.

"I once sensed something close to his hand," Nina said. "Uh, he visited prison to talk with Jeanne. I was neck deep learning about sensing magic then, and there was Dromos stuff all around so I recognized it."

"She's right, it's on his wrist," Azazel said. "I noticed the same when he was in my cell."

"Really, you can sense that? Tell me about it!" Belphegor pulled out papers eagerly, feather ready for notes.

"You're studying that stuff?" Favaro asked.

While the others got into a ramble on stuff, Nina drifted off to think about the bracelet — if she could get it somehow that would take a huge burden off the resistance. Mugaro could handle the entire Onyx problem if only Dromos wasn't there.

Angra Mainyu thought Nina a puppet of fate, but Nina feared it might be worse : what if she was created for this? Was she risking the world by defying it? Was defying it the right thing to do? How and for what reasons? Angra Mainyu was scary in ways Chris wasn't, but hadn't endangered her like Chris had.

Wait, wait, no she was allied with Olivia, that was bad.

Who to trust?

All this stuff was so far beyond her, but she had to get it somehow. Her life's path depended on it, and in turn, a lot of lives had depended on her, and might again.

"Nina, are you alright?" Favaro's voice jerked her back to the present.

"I was just thinking about the stuff you said," Nina muttered.

"So do you and old grumpy really intend to leave?"

"Yeah, he doesn't want to try any big dangerous stuff. To be honest, I probably shouldn't either. I messed up a lot of stuff in heaven, and Qhispe got hurt. We'd just make things worse."

"Doesn't like like that to me." Favaro nodded to Mugaro.

While she was distracted, Mugaro had gotten Belphegor to take her coat off and was now working on her back. Stumps grew out slowly, the beginning of lost wings.

It took Mugaro a while, but Belphegor unfolded beautiful wings tinged with dark colors and wide. Spinning around, she felt the air again. Nina gave Mugaro a thumbs up.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Belphegor hunched before Mugaro. "Is there anything I may do in return?"

Mugaro shook nur head. "No, I've got all I need already."

Belphegor tried out her new wings and was much better at flight than Nina had been, effortlessly turning through the air.

And yet, she cringed and almost dropped down. Gingerly she landed, giving a confused look to Mugaro.

"Those are brand new muscles, you'll have to be careful with them," Mugaro said. "Sorry, I can't tell when I'm regenerating something or just healing it. It's a hard line to tell."

"Don't worry, I'll manage," Belphegor said.

Beyond that, a strange silence had fallen. Nina wouldn't have noticed if the suffocating silence of the void wasn't still on her mind.

Azazel leaned against a wall off to the side, and Cerberus and her group looked sour. Rachel muttered about at least taking Olivia down, Cerberus argued too quiet to hear, while casting a sharp look at Azazel.

Oh, right. It had to be a let down to learn they weren't getting a rebellion boost.

After Belphegor had folded her wings and gotten a few more directions from Mugaro on care, she cast a very dissapointed look at Azazel. He looked away, kinda guilty.

Mugaro announced ne wanted to go find nur friends now, and left with Azazel. He threw a look at Nina, expecting her to come along, but Nina shook her head and patted her stomach.

After they were gone the rest of them filed out too. Nina did consider getting some food, but Belphegor used the open space to practice flight some more.

Knowing Mugaro, before they left others would join them.

Where would Azazel draw the line about how many could be healed before they fled again? Would they even take anyone along? Belphegor sure didn't look like she'd be packing anytime soon.

When Belphegor noticed Nina's interest, Nina clarified she had wings now herself and unfolded them — the pact with Azazel was gone but she'd learned the knack of wing magic enough to replicate it. Ever devoted to knowledge, Belphegor demonstrated a few things about aerial maneuvering with bat like wings that Azazel's feathers didn't cover.

Nina didn't try flying yet, she didn't want to make a scene or hurt herself — they were supposed to leave the city soon. Spirits, that didn't feel right.

As Belphegor tested out spinning with one foot on the ground, Nina wandered past the side and spotted a strange rock.

Half of it was cut flat with a meticulous drawing of a dragon on it. Her kind. Nina knelt before it, tracing her finger over it.

Belphegor landed next to her. "When may we see you like that again? Did you get any closer to control?'

"That's me?" Nina asked. "I've been told I have a more crooked back."

"Lord Azazel drew it. I don't find it unbefit. To us you looked beautiful," Belphegor said. "We might have put too much hope in you when you were not ready, but you did give us the fire to rise up. That fire still burns."

How Nina wanted to to embrace those words and promise it would be right this time. But she couldn't kill the king, might not even betray him, and hadn't even noticed just how far Azazel was gone.

She put a smile on her face anyway. "Thanks."

That simple, meaningless little word only painted Belphegor forlorn. No, this would never leave the demons in Anatae, and if he hadn't lost trust in himself, Azazel wouldn't either.

Nina ran her fingers to the dragon's snout, trying to picture what it'd be like if she burned Chris. The thought horrified her. Maybe she could just pry the bracelet off somehow. Maybe that would be enough.

Chris had mentioned something about fate putting her at his side, hadn't he? Maybe she could use that to her advantage, the way Favaro did with fate's inspiration.

 _Angra Mainyu, are you still here?_

· · · · · · ·

Azazel had never quite noticed the hush that fell whenever he passed, because it had always been quiet in hell too whenever he passed. There people had usually known he'd be coming, here they always kept their voice down for knights anyway. Now it buzzed with life, and opinions. Many knew he'd ignited the prior rebellion, and the responses were ... mixed. Too hushed to make out, save for a few sentences.

"He started that failed rebellion. I traded with Dante, he wasn't planning it before that."

"At least he did something."

"Him leaving is why Olivia got in."

"As far as I'm concerned all those damn angels are the same trouble."

He walked faster, only stopped when Mugaro absolutely had to heal someone.

Mugaro's friends were still roughly in the same place as they'd lived before. Mugaro lowered nur hood, waving as ne ran up.

"Who's that?"

"I'm Mugaro, just a little different outside."

They looked from Mugaro to Azazel, uncertain until Mugaro pulled nur hair aside to reveal the red eye.

"It _is_ Mugaro!" Kiprio called. He and two of the other kids jumped up. Mugaro caught them all in an embrace, and nur wings came out.

"Damn chaos, you're a god now?"

"Half god, only. I always was." Mugaro knelt down. "Please don't be afraid, I'm still your friend."

The kids exchanged a glance before the tallest, Kiprio, asked, "Can I touch your wings?"

Mugaro stretched them ahead, nodding.

Careful the kid brushed his fingers over the shining feathers before declaring it didn't hurt. Onlookers came around and stayed at a distance.

Mugaro looked around. "I can't sense ... where's the others?"

"Otyan and Daurra aren't around anymore," Kiprio said.

"Maybe they died," Siem said. "There was this god with lots of ice and there was falling rocks and water."

Mugaro started tearing up.

"I'm s—" Ne was cut off by Azazel's hand on nur shoulder.

"Mugaro. Don't take after your mother there," Azazel said. "You didn't make a mistake, _Charioce_ provoked heaven _and_ you."

"And maybe they're stuck in Olivia's area. Lots of others are," Siem said, not too hopeful. "You can sense people?"

Mugaro nodded. "You know, maybe something about the barrier gets in the way. I couldn't sense Nina either when she vanished. Right, that must be what's going on."

"Sure," Arai said, even less hopeful.

Distraction, now Was there anything he could have them do? Hmm ...

"I want to get rid of this stupid mist, but can't control the black bible. Are the water manipulators still around?"

"Yes. Adva's making an aquaduct, there's always people there getting water," Siem said. "She and Típa pulled together all the water with their song."

The kids threw themselves on leading the way, which went slowly since Mugaro entered a few houses to heal sick or injured people.

They arrived at the riverside wall, where a few broken buildings were cleared for material. The aquaduct would run across the lower buildings judging from the height. Malphas with her skills for construction should've been here, but there were just some blueprints pinned to a wall. Some zombies and a few faces he recognized from the arena worked here.

Halfway up the wall and out of range of any falling rocks, Adva sang while Típa played a lyre. Glowing blue water converged in a pool, sent out on their word to test for weak spots with every haphazard construction.

The scene transfixed Mugaro, who surely saw more than him.

The song stopped and the workers came together around the weak spot they found, ready with mortar. Mugaro ran up to the musicians.

"Hello, I'm Mugaro! How did you do that magic?"

"Hello there. I'm not sure how to explain that, it's more of a sense than a spell," Típa said. "Don't you notice it in your own voice?"

"Not really, but I think a few days ago I used it to revive Azazel."

"You what now?" Adva asked. "Wait, are you that kid ... "

She looked around and spotted Azazel at the corner. Right away their comfort vanished. Had that kind of thing always happened or was it because his disastrous rebellion? He had half a mind to turn away, but Mugaro wasn't budging so he approached.

"Why are you back here?" Adva asked without making eye contact.

"We came back to get out our comrades," Mugaro said.

"Oh. What's the cut off?" Adva asked. "Can the kids take relatives? Their friends? Relatives of their friends?"

Tipá pulled at her sleeve. "Don't. Please, he's—"

"He didn't attack me last time I told him something." She did shake in her boots though, and her voice didn't raise far.

"Just spit it out," Azazel said.

"If you think lady Belphegor will leave here, you don't know her or any of us. We won't go into the hills to be captured just for a chance to get away. If this barrier lasts, so can we. I presume lord Lucifer hasn't provided any portals, sky beasts, or anything else for transport?"

"I haven't been to Helheimr."

"No betting on the lords, as usual," Adva said.

"Was it always like that?" Azazel asked.

"Of course," she said, though by the looks of it that question was far from _of course_.

Azazel clenched his hand over the emerging snake, trying Nina's trick for forcing the energy away.

"What do you need?" he asked.

Adva stared at him for a good five seconds before she said, "Uh ... really?"

"Do I have to repeat myself?"

"No, no. Uhm ..." Nervous, she ran a hand through her hair. "Cerberus has a lot covered, but it's not really about us. We need wood and baskets and clothing and blankets and hygiene things and more that's up there—"

Típa pointed her wing at the upper city. "Where we can't get it cause Olivia has the place rigged with fire traps lately. Cerberus trades with the Red Troupe but not all that _we_ need and Divesepid's only sporadically reanimating corpses to carry in something, and ... uh, yes. Just things for everyday life."

He didn't have the faintest clue how to go about that, but he did know others who did. Now where was Nina?

· · · · · · ·

Angra Mainyu gave her a time in evening and a location at the barrier, and no other words. She left the slums through the Lidfard mansion, passing by Trismegistus. She was in the habit of providing face adjustments using her alchemic components and imago magic. Nina got her hair colored brown, a little change to her face, and nabbed a dirndlr with a low back in case she had to grow wings. Her excuse for leaving was her need for more food, which she said she'd just steal rather than deplete from the scarce resources. She promised to bring back extra. Trismegistus didn't really care.

What she really wanted to bring back was something quite different.

Chris had a steady route with the grave as the usual end point, but didn't include this route in their dates. If she was to find him, she had to check everything.

The grave had been restored, but the earth had clearly been broken. Would his mother go around in shambles somewhere? Nah, they'd probably cleaned up all the zombies after the failed rebellion.

His mother and her grave ... Mugaro would be without mother right now if things had gone as he had intended. Siem, Kiprio and all of Mugaro's friends already were, and there were countless others. Did he really not feel anything for them? If he'd had to cut that down, what would happen if that capacity grew again?

She moved on to the park in the upper ring following his exact route. Autumn had brought brown leaves and mushrooms and it wasn't cold. There should at least be some wanderers, but perhaps they were too afraid to stray. Or maybe the people of the upper district had moved away from Olivia.

When she caught a blur of white and red near the gazebo, she froze.

Like he had no concern in the world, Chris sat on the steps staring at the fountain.

Her heart jumped a little at the sight of him, more with fear that exileration. If he was here, so would his guard be. She could grow her wings and fly, they wouldn't expect that. It'd be fine. Going back underground to work starve— no use fearing that. This had to be done.

Trying not to look troubled, she wandered closer, humming.

"Helloooo," she said, trying to make her voice sound differently.

"Hello."

He either was amazingly stoic or really bought she was a random passerby.

Alright, so, maybe she could sit down at his left side and reach and—

"What are you doing here?" It stung a little that it wasn't, _how are you doing_ , but of course he hadn't recognized her. Right?

"I am just a girl, shopping and uh, I lost my way." Crap, she'd forgotten to twist her voice.

He smiled at her in the way he never gave anyone else; yep, he'd recognized her.

Spirits, what would he do? She let that anxiety flourish but kept it to her magic. Her wings twitched in her back, having just enough to kick into action.

Chris stood up, the bushes rustled, he reached out and a flare of panic shot through Nina. She pushed that energy into her wings and was about to fly off, but got about ten meters before meeting the ground in a graceless heap. Crap. Bad plan.

Footsteps approached, she rolled onto her feet in a defensive stance.

He didn't attack, just smiled at her like nothing was wrong. No Onyx Knights jumped out so far.

"That didn't work so well."

"I'm uh ... new to this. I mean, I've totally had wings for a long time, I just didn't use them in a while."

"I see," he said. "I suppose you did not want them amputated."

Wait, did he think she'd ... of course, he had no idea of her transformation issues. Probably.

"I always wanted to see the slums. You're a demon, right? So you can get in."

It screamed trap. If he actually cared to see the slums he could've done it any time in the past years. Mugaro might come running to her, or Azazel could see them and recognize Charioce, Favaro might wander up to figure out whether the guy harassed her, there was a lot that could go wrong.

But the demons did control that part of the city so it wasn't a huge risk, and there was a lot that could go right too. She might have a chance to at the very least steal the bracelet. Or get him dead somehow. She didn't ... want to think about this. The bracelet would do.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked anyway. Maybe he'd back out.

"Why not?"

"There's a very bad fallen angel there," she said.

"Bad enough for even you to flee?"

She shook her head. "I just came to get food. It's running out in there."

"So will you show me?"

If she could isolate him from the Onyx Knights that would be safer ...

Angra Mainyu's designated location was at the pier, which had few demons around. It allowed one to slip right to the slums without crossing Olivia's territory.

The moment Nina laid her hand over the barrier, the air rippled and the power faded. They passed without issue, and Nina dearly hoped Angra Mainyu would not let the Onyx Knights pass.

They passed the most narrow of the stairways, riverside, which nobody used now.

Nina trailed at his side as they wandered into the streets, unsure what was to happen now. He didn't try to talk at all, which she was grateful for. Last time they had met, she had been his prisoner — not exactly a fun conversation starter. She didn't want to think about that either.

Chris drew a lot of attention from both demon and humans residents. Now she saw him in the crowd without the blinding thrill dominating, it stood out his disguise made no sense : turbans were not part of the local culture. People from the south and east did so at times, but they had darker skin than him so he did not even pass for a travelling visitor. What was he thinking with that getup?

Demons glared at him, but he walked on without looking left or right.

Only when they passed by a stand did something draw his attention : a pendant claw tinged red.

"What an interesting design."

He handed his glasses to the merchant without a word or negociation. He was a human, he got what he wanted simply because the demons had been well trained to obey authority figures. Nina's gut wrenched when she remembered all times before meeting Azazel, when demons had deferred and cowered before her.

The second thing to win his attention was group of demon children playing with a ball in a small open space; further from the more crowded streets. They'd built a goal using a rag and sticks. Some of them were Mugaro's friends.

"What're they doing?"

"Playing ..." Wasn't that obvious?

"I see."

Without another word he ran ahead, past the baffled children, and kicked the ball. There was enough space and speed to score the goal, but it collided with Arai's head. He cried out while the ball landed in the goal post.

The entire group froze as they stared at the human. After an uncomfortable delay, they broke out in cheers in praise about how awesome that 'trick' was. More well trained reverence to humans.

"Teach us how to do that!" they yelled, and he obliged.

She could get lost in the way he lost himself. He laughed and shone with joy as he led the game. This was how he truly could be when away from the throne. She almost didn't notice the yelps whenever he used one of the children's tiny bodies to bounce the ball off.

One misaimed kick by a child, and the ball sailed her way. Reflex had her jump to catch it.

This — this wasn't a ball. Startled, she tensed up and almost smashed the skull between her hands. Scales pushed through her skin, thankfully hidden by her clothes.

The skull in her hand might've still been a living person if she had killed Charioce before. Empty sockets stared at her. Just a little beyond was his radiant face.

"Come join us." He smiled and beckoned to her, but Nina could not move.

All along he had been kicking around the skull of one of his myriad victims. If sheer force didn't set her mind back, this pummeled her into the abyss and took along any comfort.

"You can't play with someone's skull, can you?" Nina stammered. She forced a smile, for the benefit of the children.

"We don't have anything else," Kiprio said. "We tried to go to a toy store up there but Olivia and the deer guy are really scary."

She didn't want to hurt the kids, but handing the skull back to Chris filled her with disgust — he was still smiling. He had all the riches of the three worlds, and he had used that power to make all kinds of laws that preventing them getting something so simple as a ball. The demons weren't used to leaving corpses lying around anymore than humans, this wasn't normal.

"I ... no ... we should bury it." She couldn't look at him anymore.

"Hmm." Chris took off his turban and looked around for some hay and rocks.

"Won't ..." She stopped herself. He might be recognized, but these children might be dead this winter if they didn't find better clothes against the cold.

As Chris folded the rocks and hay into the clothes, turning it into a new ball, Nina placed the skull in a secure crevice. She would bury it later, she had a mission now. Her hands trembled even after she drew back, and the empty eyes followed her worse then Angry Mainyu.

Taking a deep breath, she turned back.

Done now, Chris tossed the new ball and the children ran off with it, losing any and all interest in having him play with them the moment he turned away. Nobody begged him to stay as he came to stand at Nina's side.

"Can we talk?" Nina asked. "About that stuff with destiny you told me about?"

Chris laid his arm around her shoulders, face so close and ohg spirits why she still went red. "Left way, a little up."

She looked ... there was an Onyx Knight in the shadows up a stairway.

"There's about six of them," he said.

What was Angra Mainyu's plan, letting the guard in? Had she stumbled into being a pawn for something?

"Let's ditch them, shall we?"

Chris pulling her along by the hand, they ran. He was so fast she had trouble keeping up, but it was him who was exhausted first.

They paused in a crevice between two run down buildings for him to catch his breath. She stood at the right side to see his bracelet, but he blocked the exit.

When an Onyx Knight passed they pushed further into the dark. Finding a rickety door they went into a cellar and up again into a house. After startling the family there and Nina profusely apologizing, they were in another alley.

An Onyx Knight were there too, checking behind the trash. When he approached, they went out a window, over a wall right by, and hid next to the trash.

It worked, the Onyx Knight didn't check the trash twice. Nina was a little surprised Chris really did mean to hide from them.

They waited a little for them to move on. When it was more secure, Nina whispered, "Hey, when you go home, why don't you change the laws a bit so they'll just be able to buy a real ball? You smile at me and at them, but you won't do anything that helps us."

"There's something I must achieve at all costs."

It wasn't even an answer. "So ... what about _after_ that important thing? Once there is no need for us to be enemies?"

"How would we not be? These creatures feed on fear, it is their inevitable nature to spread it, save for those who choose to subtract themselves from it. I have met another of your kind and I believe your tribe has ascended from hell's depravity. Those children may be innocent yet, but they still inherit the nature of their ancestors. Just as humankind must choose to improve, so do the gods and demons. Your ancestors already have. If these demons prove similar, we may see."

"The gods don't think so." She hadn't planned to say that, but amid all the anger over this world, there was some for them too. "Odin and a few others tried to get rid of me, that's why I came back."

If he would just respond with the slightest sound of sympathy — but he didn't. He took her by the hand and they ran again, so she left behind her hope he'd take an interest in her.

At least that made it easier to put her thoughts back to her mission. She pushed herself further and took the lead, steering him to the caves.

· · · · · · ·

Still no sign of Nina. What, was she catching up with Angra Mainyu?

So, he brought Mugaro to Belphegor's area; she was no target for Olivia and Trismegistus could provide extra security. He avoided talking to either.

From there on, he found Divesepid and kicked him off his boulder.

Before Divesepid could climb or or even reply, Azazel slapped a list of Adva's requirements in his face. "Get some corpses to loot up there."

Divesepid stared at the paper before declaring, "I am not a shopping servant."

"As Lucifer's right hand, I take charge of this operation," he said. "You allied with Malphas who works here, and this my territory."

"You're invoking tribal dominance call for groceries?"

"There's no need to be dramatic. Yet. Go be useful."

That should be enough.

When he rejoined Mugaro, ne was more or less planning an infirmary. Oh, great. He'd have to say no somehow. And also no to leaving with most they'd come for. Belphegor had a whole laboratory here and Cerberus had gone all out of her mind and _settled_. Two of Mugaro's old friends were presumed missing and certainly dead.

Before he could sort out how to go about this, Mimi popped up. "There's Onyx Knights in the slums, ruff!"

"How?" Azazel was up on his feet at once and would've flown off if only he'd known the direction.

Favaro caught up at the exist of the tunnels, panting. "I really could use some of that teleportation power."

Azazel guessed Amira had alerted him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Are you nuts? Hell fell, you need your comrades."

Several centuries of demon pride insisted very loudy that this wasn't his comrade and he didn't need help, especially not from a human.

"Whatever. Just don't get in my way."

Goddammit, he hated that he had to have all these people around. Now he couldn't even see one of them.

Amira ... he had never actually seen her when she wasn't sick with poison or wine. What kind of a person was she? Not that it'd matter, but lately it felt like he needed an idea what to expect of anyone. Outright asking about that was kind of slightly very embarassing though.

While they went as inconspiciously as possible into the slums, he just asked, "What exactly does the hybrid perceive?"

"She can hear Cerberus and others with magic and I guess enough fate sensitivity, but not me because my voice transends such influence, and not you because you don't have the fate affinity. But that's fine, we still got the old way."

Favaro drew a picture of the Onyx Knights and held it up to the thin air, while gesturing around.

Favaro was an atrocious artist.

Azazel snatched the paper, deemed the scribbles unsalvageable and used the other side to draw three Onyx Knights as well as a rough estimatation of the places they might've gone from their suspected entry point. Favaro held up Mimi to point out the areas she'd smelled them at.

Something like force tingled where his missing horns would have been, a strange sensation just outside his body.

"Did she do that?" he asked.

Favaro nodded. "And donned Satan a bit while doing it. It's the compatible magic."

Well. If she did return it would be a problem for her to hate him. It wasn't below him to avoid trouble, especially lately, and this wasn't caving to some pathetic lifeform or anything.

He drew the outline of the torture rack without her on it, held it up to where she hopefully was, and crushed the paper in his hand.

"Huh. She says—"

"I don't want to know." Azazel tossed the paper and walked on, but Favaro swiped it up.

"Aaaah ... so just so you know ..." Favaro's grin spelled nuisance. "... when Amira and I are going to travel the world, we sure could use a nice airship and a lot of food. Amira isn't a huge eater, but she loves flavors and you know if you can promise Cerberus pay—"

"Whatever makes you think I have any interest in making amends?"

"Uh huh. Belphegor says the miniature sky bugs are cute and not edible."

"I am and always will be a demon, you're a fool to expect anything."

"Okay. Amira isn't that fond of fish, by the way."

"You know you can't even remove her from Bahamut."

"Right. But I really meant it about not giving Amira any edible and tasty transport. She _will_ try."

"Can we go find the enemies before they kill anyone or what?"

"Of course, sure. So how well do you fare against these guys?"

"It takes about three of them to lock me in a sphere," he said. "If they _don't_ have that advantage, the eye holes are a weak spot."

"Or that kid could—"

"If they got inside the barrier right on the day we arrive, it's related. They were let in by our demonic enemies. Mugaro led the siege on this city and can remotely knock out all soldiers, they will prioritize nur capture."

They walked on without talking to each other. Favaro asked around whether anyone had seen anything, there were a few who had noticed swift dark shadows. Mimi could on soon enough, something unnatural and matching the sighting's routes.

"It's getting stronger, ruff!" Mimi sped up her pace, rounded a few corners, entered a house and presented ... a pile of black armor.

Shit.

Mimi popped off and returned with another poof soon. "They just started running all over the place. Then they scattered into different directions. There's more than three too."

He had to check on Mugaro now. Favaro called after him, but that wasn't important.

· · · · · · ·

The sky had started turning red by the time they lost all of them. They'd gone into the caves, Nina making sure to avoid the sensitive areas. This ended up with in one with a deposit of glowing blue water (and no tunnels connected to Cerberus's underground palace).

The words on fate haunted every step, for each felt more and more right in ways she could not explain. The rush mingled in, the dragon lay close.

If only. If only he had been on another path. If fate hadn't pushed him down the way ... but fate couldn't push. It could only set up or Martinet would not have happened. It had chosen Chris, not made him. She clung to that knowledge.

He stood next to her, still catching his breath. She already had her own.

"I don't understand. You could have me arrested. All you had to say was that I was disguised," she said as she began to rub the masquerade from her face. "And you did not kill Azazel when you've killed all others who stood against you. Yet you created this land of horrors, passed the laws to mutilate and kill the demons. You've already forgotten about the children that entertained you and you have a death sentence on the heads of several people I love. How does this all fit together for your path?"

"I cannot tell you any more than I already have. I must tread this path to reach my destiny in service of humankind."

Ugh, why? The energy of transformation trickled at her heart, but she pushed it away. Not outside, lest she grow her wings again — at her mind. It had room.

"If you can't tell me, I'll just have to keep going down my own path."

"Your own, or someone else's? I hear Jeanne goes around on behalf of the gods," he said. "She's doing some damage to my alliances."

"Oh."

"Were you not with her?"

 _How did he know?_ Had he found her village? Were they alright? ... a shiver ran up her spine, that she even had to wonder whether the man she loved would hurt her home town.

They were probably alright. Probably.

"Yes, but ... I do not get along with the gods much. We went separate ways. Some gods would have me die for being the scourge of the eastern mountains," Nina said.

"That is what I mean with their nature. Contemptuous gods and their arrogance that cannot see the worth of humankind."

He talked a little like Gabriel, with all the destiny stuff, but he acted like Odin.

"Other gods did not. The leader of heaven isn't a kind person and her opinions on me and my tribe aren't right, but she didn't murder us on the spot for our heritage either. Gods are people, just as diverse as humans are. I get all the cultural stuff wrong, and I don't get you ... but don't you understand yourself? A lot of what you say and do just doesn't add up."

"It may appears so from the outside, just as you would be judged a rampaging monster. You know inside you are no such creature."

Memory remained a blur, but if she fed her soul some of the transformative magic — the last she had done whenever she tried to hide — she got flares. She was pretty sure she hadn't ever killed for the sport of it even as a dragon. If she were to change now, all the thousands of people behind them would be safe. They were not safe from him.

"But I'm not hiding who I am, I just can't think clear as a dragon. You don't have that. You show a face to me and the world that matches your actions, whether as the cruel king or the kind boyfriend. What face reflects _your_ heart?" she asked on what last hope she had.

He walked to the edge of the lake, back to her as he spoke. "I cannot tell you what I am fighting for, but everything I have done was necesary for that purpose, and this kingdom is the outcome. I have followed the path of Kṛiṣṇa and long since discarded all feelings of guilt. My dedication lies with my duties alone, as I honor my pitiful mother's legacy. Not once did my convictions waver ... not until you came into my life. If only I had never met you, I could have gone on without any doubts."

He turned back to her, some semblance of despair on his face. "If only ... "

She had never seen him so expressive, so broken. It swept aside all that she knew but did not see right now. She ran for him, threw herself around his neck and held on.

Only, _that_ set her eyes on the lit walls and drew her back to the island — stuck, choking, so many had died there that she had failed to free, burried alive and her almost as well — he had left them all there. She remembered as his arms closed around her and he knelt so her knees could rest on the sand. His embrace felt so gentle and yet, nothing about the words with which he commanded the world was the same. He had left her there to die.

"I don't know why you've become such a fearsome king ... " The words caught in her throat along with her pounding heart. Bahamut did not explain anything, and whatever conscience she might have awakened in him, he still didn't _let_ it matter. His lament told of how inconvenienced _he_ was by her. How pitiful for _him_ , that she existed, and enslaving and murdering millions was such burden _his_ poor soul had to bear.

All the weight of the collapsing island crashed down on her and broke the faces he held up to her. Only one heart beat behind them. A million beat in fear for him.

By the words she spoke next, she became a good liar. "But whatever burden you bear, I want to aid you."

She released him, leaning back and waiting unsure what to say next. The bracelet was not far and he looked down so coldly at her that it was a little easier to see him as the enemy.

He said nothing, but wiped a tear from her eyes before leaning in. Nina let him. She let herself enjoy the touch, the warmth between them. Let it mingle with her memories of all the pain he still caused to this day; the sweetness of her first kiss poisoned with his tyranny so she might end it all.

Killing someone she could feel so close to her ... she didn't have the strength. The mindless dragon could do it, but that same dragon would forget all she knew and spare him, stupid thing. She found the center of her storm between the broken pieces, but cold hatred alone was not enough.

Letting her hand slide down his arm, she went over the sense of his muscle and feigned to guide his arm further up her back. Just slow enough to enjoy the sensation, for both of them. When her fingers brushed over the metal of the bracelet, she locked her hand around it. At the same time she set loose all repressed anxiety to increase her strength. Her other hand dropped to his chest to push.

As she janked at the bracelet, it neither loosened nor broke. Imbalanced now, they fell over. She caught herself on her elbows, hand still on the bracelet. He almost toppled on her, but fell aside just in time. Half leaning over her, they locked eyes.

"This was not your first chance. I wondered whether I was wrong to suspect you," he said so calmly.

"I'm following your advice : getting rid of feelings that stand in my way. It's taking time."

"I see." There was no difference in the way he looked at her, the same steely cold as just before. She would have called it stoic strength once, now it frightened her.

"You don't see at all, if you think I'll let you sacrifice for convience just because fighting Bahamut is one of your goals."

His eyes widened ever so slightly, but the power in the bracelet flared alive. It prickled against her skin and she almost let the dragon loose, but reigned it in. She had stay conscious. That thing would not even break despite all the power she put on it, why?

"It cannot detach until death," he said. Death of what? With Rocky and Rita around that was a really vague thing to say.

"It wouldn't be the first time you've left out information that really changed the meaning of something," Nina said.

Now he gave her a dim smirk. He might be hiding something terrible, he might genuinely be amused she wasn't so gullible, he might be buying time to consider how to deal with her. And still so close. Why oh why, she still wanted him. Maybe more than before. She forced her thoughts back to everything she knew he'd done.

"You know, I would never have gotten involved with the rebellion if you didn't run a kingdom whose guardians execute suspects on the spot," Nina said. "Fate would've just put us together and if I ever found out who you were, I would not have called you evil. _You_ brought ruin between us."

"Ruin? No iron is gently coaxed into a sword, it is by the beating of the hammer it becomes sharp. So too must the kingdom be forged. At the end of that will be tranquility, once all have learned their new place. The way there is not easy."

"So you're some greater good who must masquerade as evil? You're not _acting_ , you really did do all that evil. Why? How does it help you fight Bahamut?" Nina said. "Why does it have to be _this_ way? Do you not know how to rule? Is Dromos powered by demonic misery?"

He looked only a little surprised before he steeled himself and said, "No, it is not."

"Then why are you destroying the two tribes that held back Bahamut if you want to save the world from Bahamut? Or are you trying to control Bahamut?"

"It will be humans alone who rise above all others. Sealing Bahamut for all time shall be the crown on our ascension. No longer will we cower before anything, god, demon or eldritch."

"There won't be humans of Bahamut kills us all! Why won't you give a clear answer? Please ..."

"I have done so. You just cannot understand."

The scales pushed out and horns broke through her skin, sped by urgency, by hatred, but under control.

He pried her fingers off his bracelet, stepping back. One more glance of that same ice, then he turned to the cave entrance.

Nina kept sending off the energy in smaller doses, letting her legs grow stronger as she went after him. He sprinted at her first step, not even looking back. She went after him with unsteady gait, fast but not enough.

His line went right to the crowded houses. At the edge he jumped to the nearest roof, she lost sight between the tall buildings even as she scaled the building. Her changing limbs slowed her down and she collapsed on a flat roof.

One of the flying demons passing by landed next to her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I will be," she snarled. "Can you tell the people in this house to get out? I'm going to transform."

She curled up and refused to rush the transformation, because her mind had to stay. Anything better than being mindless again.

That bracelet was going off tonight.

· · · · · · ·

Evening in the slums was kinda cozy now they didn't have to worry about humans. Probably would be better if they weren't scared out of their wits over Onyx Knights.

The streets had emptied as word got out the Onyx were about, but when it spread they'd hidden in houses and killed the inhabitants, everyone went outside. Those humans who had taken refuge in the slums stuck close to their unwilling neighbors to vouch for them.

Cerberus made an appearance on the plaza to point out all Onyx Knights were large, bulky men and can we please look out for those? So that was the idea now, get lots of eyes out there. Favaro was honestly surprised how differently demons moved. Very few stayed inside once that wasn't an option, almost all banded together to stand. None of that only the strong men go search lets hide the wimminz and kiddies.

None of the obvious Onyx Knights mingled with the crowd and they avoided the streets, but Favaro did see someone else a little unusual.

At first sight, all that tipped him off was the way the man pushed through the crowd with purpose, never bumping into anyone or too obvious about his hurry. On closer look, a turban didn't match his skin color

Favaro elbowed Azazel. "Over there in the crowd. Pale guy, loose white shirt that's way too clean and silky for something he found here, turban that looks like he snagged a random cloth."

Azazel followed his gaze, frowning.

The man glanced around, and spotted them. Cold eyes locked with Favaro, just a second before flicking to Azazel.

Him. _Here_. Oh shit.

Azazel's wings flared out along with the summoning of his sword. "Charioce!"

Favaro made a grab for Azazel, but he'd shot off already. The crowd hurled themselves out of the way, demons pulling along slower humans. Azazel hurled a dozen snakes right at Charioce, who rolled out of the way and a ground shield flickered around him.

Favaro leaped ahead — still keen on that super speed — and broke through the shield and — _holy shit, that hurt_.

Charioce was open before him though and Favaro slashed his shortsword. Charioce dodged and twisted Favaro's arm behind his back. Man, he was fast.

Slamming him into the ground, Charioce pulled out a knife. Favaro could just see from the corner of his eye, he moved too slow compared to before, but Azazel didn't realize that when he surged at Charioce again.

Charioce whirled around and stabbed the place through Azazel's arm, pinning it to the ground. The other arm he twisted before planting his knee between Azazel's wings.

Charioce smiled. "I can't believe you fell for that again."

His free hand closed around Azazel's neck, squeezing in as green power sparked. Azazel screamed and trashed, but Charioce's unnatural power seeped further awake. Even his eys glowed green.

Quietly Favaro rolled over, then shot ahead. Charioce's ankle was just in reach. Holding his foot, Favaro swung him into a wall so hard it cracked.

Charioce dropped along with the rubble, and Favaro paid him a cocky smirk before looking back. Azazel was bloodied all over, rasping for breath. The skin of his neck had melted.

"Always so reckless, Azazel."

Then he faced his fancy new arch enemy. Really, how did he keep getting these?

"Hey there, king. We meet at last. Can't say I'm happy about how you honor me; your precedor was quite a bit more grateful. Defeating Bahamut is my job, whether we like it or not," Favaro said.

"Fate decrees otherwise," Charioce said. He stood up evenly, but there was something of imbalance in his movement.

"Fate can burn in hell," Azazel sneered. "Along with you."

"That is all? Hell wasn't very impressive last time I was there, I'm sure fate will find it even less so."

"Damn you!"

It was kind of a miracle Azazel didn't attack again, but just in case Favaro moved between them. "Come on, let's all just fight nicely. Wanna test how much of an edge Azazel has with me like this?"

Charioce smirked. "If you believed you could win, we would not be talking now."

"Oh, I'm just buying time for the back up to arrive," he said. "I'm not the only demon ward."

Actually it would be great if the Smaragd Guard or the hybrids showed up right now. He didn't get that, but another distraction : a rock sailing at Charioce's head.

"What the hell are you doing, attacking Favaro Leone?" The speaker was an older human man, standing firm at the edge of the crowd further down the street.

Charioce just narrowed his eyes at him, but the man didn't back down. "First you lay siege on the gods and imprison saint Jeanne, now you're after the hero who saved us from Bahamut? What, can't handle sharing the glory?"

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't offended the gods, that fallen angel wouldn't be here!" someone else called.

Some humans slunk away, too smart to voice favor for their king, but there were enough of the rest.

The first demon to join in yelled, "We never even left hell! Why do we have to pay for what our chiefs did?"

Jeering swelled into a cacophony. His father's life of noble thievery hadn't been for Favaro, but here he understood a little of the rush that could drive one. This kind of anger might just be a exhilarating for someone like his old man.

The crowds shattered without warning. Four bulky men shifted up with unnatural speed and stolen clothes, all from varying directions.

Azazel caught one by jumping on his shoulders and squeezing his hand through the skull — without their armor they were as malleable as any human. Favaro put that to the test by stabbing his opponent in the liver. Which worked wonderfully, except his dagger was now stuck and the guy just had to fall on it too. So he just stole the man's sword.

The other two raised their hands at Azazel, throwing one of those damn spheres. Favaro leaped at the nearest, who dropped one hand to block Favaro. He dodged to the side and tried to ram a dagger into the man's side. He was quicker and almost kicked Favaro down. He ducked in time, the arm followed. He got a wristblade slicing Favaro's leg open, but it gave Favaro and opening to curl his tail around the wrist. So he knocked the sword out of his hand with the man's own momentum. Favaro drove that sword into his gut and let him keep it.

Not far, Azazel shot a snake through the last one's arms, but the knight just bit through and caught him in a sphere. Just one, Azazel screamed but had enough focus to twist the snake. The knight's arms broke along with the sphere. One swipe later and the man's whole torso was a smear of gore on the street — damn, so that's what happened if Azazel applied his wall punching on a human.

Two more Onyx Knights sped at them, but a fireball set them alight and Nina barelled into the street. That was Nina, right? The colors matched, but he'd never seen her dragon form so halfway. She stilled glowed, but the transformation could be seen as it happened.

Nina surged at Charioce fangs out right at him. He dodged, but in the chaos of unstable gait couldn't see where to go — Nina chomped down.

For a split second Favaro hoped, but Nina narrowly (and deliberately) avoided his head. Her jaws closed around the arm with the bracelet. Charioce didn't even try to resist, he just looked right into her golden eye. Nina slacked, yet darkened blood dripped from her mouth.

Favaro ran, but Azazel got there first. Charioce blocked Azazel's blade with a hardening shell around his arm and kicked Azazel away. Serpents rushed out, but so did the shield around Charioce. It forced Nina's jaws open and she reeled back. Charioce dropped on his feet, caught Azazel in a sphere and hurled him away before jumping onto a building.

His arm oozed black blood lined with aquamarine. It became a blade in his hand, ever twisting yet solid. Out of the lines energy spun into all directions, creating a network of lines and spheres around Charioce. Nina looked him straight in the eyes, a look they held for the mere seconds it took for Charioce's construct to congregate into two points.

Favaro rolled out of the way, but the power pursued into houses and around corners. When it caught on, it broke his skin all over — but he managed to stay on his feet.

"Teacher, get over here!"

Nina? _Talking?_

Forcing past the green power he scrambled back to the main street.

She still stood in the street, now on all fours and fully dragon.

Azazel had escaped by wing, but he was a purple mess. Just as surprised, he swung towards her. That got him closer to Charioce's range, but Nina planted her wings in the way. Favaro rolled in from the other side.

At last in full dragon form, Nina planted herself over over Favaro and Azazel, wings down to the ground. Her jaws filled with fire, but she held back. Splendid, she had it bad.

"So be it." Charioce turned towards the tunnels at absurd speed. Nina didn't even try taking a shot. Swell.

"Nina, he's getting away!" Azazel already moved to follow, but Charioce was out of sight.

"I'm sorry."

"I swear I'm only going to get worse if I hear one more apology over stupid crap," he grumbled. "Most demons are fire resistant _enough_. You can risk setting houses on fire if it kills goddamn Charioce!"

The red thing Charioce had lost in the sand lay near, he picked it up.

"What was he even doing here?" a nearby woman asked him from a roof.

It was a dark red claw with a pale red tip, eerily like the barb from Bahamut. "I dunno, shopping?"

Fate was at work, indeed.

"Why did you turn into a dragon? Can you control it now?" Azazel asked Nina.

"I ... I don't know, really. I was upset, but I just went slower."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She made a hopeless little whine. Now Favaro wasn't an expert on dragon language, but she looked cornered. Her wings were expanding already, she wanted to leave.

When she raised her other paw to Favaro, she froze. Though difficult to see in the evening on her magenta scales, there was dark blood and flesh.

Nina made her most inhuman wail yet and scrambled back, knocking over more stands and dropping Azazel. Panting heavily, she desperately tried to wipe the gore off on a torn tent. That failing, she filled her mouth with fire and blasted herself.

Only when her scales had been torched black did she calm down, but fire caught on nearby stands.

"Sorry," she said again.

"Nina, you better go cool down somewhere. We can walk back."

She nodded quickly and flew away pretty badly, knocking a tower off and colliding with the walls twice.

The mist thickened as the water singers drew closer, they would handle the fire.

Azazel leaned on a wall, somewhat shaking. Unstable, deeper than the wounds. Serpents broke from his arms as much as blood. Quite a sight, Favaro had never seen him so off his game. "You still hanging in there?"

"Tch." Almost perfect casual contempt, but Azazel's eyes stood wild. He staggered towards the tunnels, struggling to get his wings out, but once he did he was off.

Favaro scaled the walls to see whether Charioce toured around to the harbor entrance. If they could get rid of him today that would make things so much easier.

He didn't find Charioce, but there was another unusual person with Amira there. Huh, that explained her absence perhaps.

A greenhaired woman in black dress and with an unusually large hat wandered across the ridge just below the high road, Amira ghosting behind her. Amira talked, but the woman only rarely replied.

He waited behind a pillar while the woman peered at the slums. Amira appeared at his side and he quietly signed the mark for where she'd been. With whispers and gestured, she indicated she'd been trying to stop that woman from getting in, which put her to blows with Angra Mainyu. Both of them were able to see and hear her, both didn't want to talk. Angra Mainyu was just cryptic, and Merlin — oh shit — refused on principle of Amira's demon heritage.

Once she walked by his collumn, she froze in place. Her eyes fell to the pendant dangling from his belt.

"You're way out of your path. Yet you are as much fate's child as ever ... how do you do this?" she whispered, but he heard her.

Favaro leaned on the edge of the pillar. "Do I know you?"

"No. None of this is right, there has to be an explanation ... tell me, Favaro Leone, who is the king to you?"

"Duh, my enemy. All the hunting me down isn't really putting me in a good mood. Who's he to you, lass who smells way too much like cologne and human to be from around here?"

When he swished his tail just into sight, she turned cold. "You made a pact with a demon. I see."

She turned away at once.

Huh, what was that about? How had she gotten inside?

Maybe he should meet this Angra Mainyu.

· · · · · · ·

That could have gone better. Oh sure, there's my cute girlfriend, let's have a date, let's do it in the demon invested slums so she's more likely to agree, let's make out, let's ignore that she's a key member of the rebellion. Such a charming naive girl with lovely lips and a vested interest in chewing his arm off.

Nina had done a really poor job of being inconspicious in avoiding certain tunnels. As suspected, those went below the barrier. One trail in particular had no demons or human refugees in it, and far more tracks. Carts stood here, remnants of fresh food still on them. Would you look at that, they had a supply line.

At top speed he ran, ignoring a few demons passing him with sacks. At the end was a surprisingly small opening that led into a large kitchen, no doubt of a nobleman's mansion. A human woman sat here with a demon child at a table, and men of both tribes mulled about to move sacks down the hole. One of them shoved a sack right into his arms.

"Go on, get a move on it," the old man said.

Careful, Charioce set the sack down. "Not now, I came to warn you that the Onyx Knights found a way into the slums. They haven't found this tunnel yet, but they may still do so."

He could take them down. No obstructions here might mean the difference for his knights. Then his knights, if any would survive, would tell the others that this mansion was an entrance to the mansion.

Nina didn't have to die as long as she didn't get in the way and well, today he had gotten onto her turf. So be it.

He played the act along of the concerned ally, advised them to close the hole if possible, and slipped away into the main entrance hall. Many doors were open, including to the living room. Well well. Above the hearth was the banner of the Lidfard family. How unsurprising.

More surprising was the darkness lined with green that leaked through the ceiling beams.

"What's going on down there?" A demoness came down the stairs. "Something really odd just started happening with our little project."

She was between him and the door, and when she looked aside, at him, she let out a fearful gasp.

Dimly he recognized her from something ... ah yes, one of the forerunners of the recent rebellion.

"We can make this the fight you know you will lose, or you can keep quiet."

She backed away. Hmm, kill her or run for it?

"You're—"

Kill her. He flicked another drop off his palm, forming it into a thin needle. He lashed at her and sent blood going, leaped to finished her off ... only to be plant himself into the floorboards.

What.

He _never_ tripped.

Looking back, it turned out the floorboard had splintered and turned gooey.

Behind the demoness up the stairway stood a stern and very human school teacher in too colorful clothing, hand stretched out. It was her magic setting him astray right through Dromos's field.

Ugh, more resistant enemies. Were they growing on trees now?

This woman stared in abject horror at him. "What _are_ you?"

Her hands twitched at her side, and the walls shifted ever so slightly.

Oh. The alchemist. Just what he needed over overexerting himself, someone who could work around raw power. Yep, there it was : the walls fell around him. He braced his hands against it, turning the rock black and brittle under the power of Dromos. Rather than more magic, that woman pushed past the demon, dodged his blow and caught his arm — too much running and a fight took just an edge off his superior response time, enough that she kneed him in the groin and smashed his head against the wall.

Maybe he should start hearing helmets literary all the time because that added way too much to his preexisting headache.

Something stuck in his neck — another dart. He should have passed out, but after using Dromos the rot in his body kept him awake. He clung to that and let Dromos direct the courseof his blood. If he fell asleep here he'd die.

He twisted around and went for the nearest light source. Jumping through a window was little compared to the pounding in his head and the spreading posion — what a disgrace. He had subjugated the king of hell itself, only to be sent running by some women with inconvenient magic and mundane poison.

He ran headfirst into the green. The garden walls wwould be easily scaled, but after that he was in the open.

Three steps in and his shirt became unbearable, festering into his skin like acid. Ripping it loose only had the parts crawl to his neck. It slowed him down before the wall, which he needed his hands to scale. Choices ... let it fester, he had to get over now.

He just barely avoided the next blow dart, which embedded in the wall, and was out on the streets.

Looking back, the demoness flew after him above the trees. The alchemist had to be somewhere close.

He kept running towards the castle, though intending to sidetrack a few times to throw them off from his real goal : the knight headquarters. Exhaustion crept up his limbs quickly, he had to invoke Dromos to keep going. The rot would deepen, but today he _would_ survive.

Of course, the street turned to sticky clay and he dropped again. Dizziness threatened to take over, he let Dromos poison him further and was on his feet again. He couldn't jump as far from this ground, but reached a roof and ran from there.

The air behind him was empty now, but they might just lay low.

A shadow swooped over and he almost lashed out, before recognizing Lao and the figure leaning over his shoulders.

"Your majesty, get on!"

When Lao flew low, he jumped for Merlin's staff and climbed on the dragon's back.

"I see your pursuers, shall I roast them?" Lao asked.

"No, they may be too much for you. And me, unfortunately."

Within a blink, Lao was on the way to the castle.

"How were you aware I was in trouble?" he asked Merlin.

"I sensed a distortion in fate itself," Merlin said. "We tried to find you at the barrier. How did you end up in the middle of the noble district?"

That woman really needed to learn consistent manners. She was on his payroll and didn't get to ask anything but clarification on orders.

"I met a pacted woman with glasses, brown hair and very colorful clothing. The alchemist, right?"

"Trismegistus Khunrath, indeed. We informed each other of our potential for strategic purposes, she did not have such technical remote application before," Merlin said with a nod to the acid burns. "So I am fairly certain she may have pacted with Belphegor instead. Perhaps it means Azazel has died. Shame, I would have liked to face off with him one day."

They stayed quiet for the rest of the way back. Once he stepped off, George greeting him with, "Your majesty, you were away long."

"I had a most refreshing evening walk. By the way, we have six openings in the Onyx Knights."

· · · · · · ·

In the main room of Cerberus's home, Favaro sat by as Cerberus held council with her girls. He was a bit bloody, but he'd live; the demon pact came with enhanced endurance. Quite nifty actually.

"Nothing, the barrier is solid all over and we have the only tunnel," Syncarpia said.

"I found something," Terásanui said, holding up a weird turtle thing. "There are tracks across the pier floor from humans, albeit heavy ones. They went right through the barrier."

That put an interesting spin on Angra Mainyu's motivations.

The door opened and the guard let in a few small visitors.

A little brown demon boy pulled at Cerberus's dress. "We heard you wanted information on weird people? We saw Nina dressed up weird with a pale guy in rich clothing. He joined our ballgame and kicked our ball into my head. I don't know why Nina was hanging out with him."

They had brought a ball the man had made for them, knowing Cerberus always wanted scents. It was a cloth wrapped around a rock and some hay, easily unravelled.

Cerberus and Mimi sniffed at the cloth. "Healthy male human, has access to a lot of fancy soap. Something's off, like with Kaisar."

"Can we have the ball back?"

"That guy was Charioce XVII," Cerberus said carelessly.

The kids's faces distorted in disgust.

"Nevermind."

"If I'd known he was the guy who took me from home I would've bitten him."

"Don't try that next time," Favaro said. "The guy's way too tough. Even Nina all dragoned out didn't pull it off."

They sent off the kids without ball, though Cerberus threw in an apple or two for them.

Amira ghosted up to him after a while. "Favaro!"

He waved at her with a smile, all he could do for now.

"He didn't tell anyone about the mansion," Amira said. "I made extra sure to stay in other rooms and only listen, so he wouldn't see me. He's outright lying to everyone."

"You're kidding," Cerberus said.

Amira frowned. "I don't do lying. Lying is awful."

"It's just an expression of disbelief," Cerberus said, a little nervous. "Anyway, you should go back and keep an ear open to see whether he doesn't change his mind."

Amira looked at Favaro, who gave a thumbs up; there wasn't anything else for her to do here. She returned the gesture and vanished again.

"He actually does like her enough to avoid going after her directly, huh?" Cerberus dropped herself on one of her poofy cushion things. "Well, that's convenient for us. I wonder whether we can do with that."

"Hey now, we're not using my student as a tool."

"So we'll ask her, whatever. I'm done for the day. Borashne, go make a tally of the damage and report _after_ I'm done not sleeping. Goddamn, we need to kill Olivia soon."

Speaking of damage and students, it was about time Favaro had a talk.

Amira pointed out Nina at the riverside around the bend, beyond the far edge of the slums.

After making sure nobody was around to hear — the enhanced hearing sure came in handy — he approached Nina.

She looked up. "Teacher?"

"Hey there Nina. Hook anything interesting lately? Or anyone?"

Nina cringed, which honestly looked silly as a giant spiky dragon.

"You brought Charioce in, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry, teacher," she grumbled. "Did he ... what happened?"

"He found the tunnel to the Lidfard mansion and got out. Belphegor got hurt, but she and Tris drove him off. The Onyx Knights are all dead. By the way, nice that you're conscious all the way, but can you keep your memories when you go back? Cause, uh, Nina. You fucked up. Big time. I'm all for getting over the past, but you gotta learn from it, so you better not forget."

She nodded. "Don't tell Azazel, please."

"I dunno whether I can do that. He thinks Olivia let him in, but if I can take a bet it was Angra Mainyu, right?"

Nina stayed quiet.

"Nina, this is important. Olivia's out for Cerberus's blood, but cannot draw people into sub space. If Angra Mainyu does not fully answer to Olivia, we have to know."

"Angra Mainyu wanted to see what I'd do. I hoped she wouldn't have let the guard in."

"Good. Maybe we can do something with that. You just stay here, take your time." Favaro patted her on the snouth. "Cerberus and I will handle the mess."

"Mugaro can heal you first," Nina said, evening his bloodsoaked shirt.

"Nah, it's fine. I have a point to make first."

The point was to Kaisar, whom Amira indicated was heading home this evening. After finishing up some chores for Cerberus — delivering messages, overseeing whether people did their job right — he headed down the tunnel.

The Anatae brand of the Lidfard mansion sure was a nice place, up close. Kaisar thought it was cramped compared to the main mansion near Dorma, but from the looks of it hadn't really tried making it more of a home since the last time Favaro had seen it, about nine years ago. What livelihood had come to it stemmed from the resistance making quarters here.

Favaro tossed his shirt off and spread on the couch, making the injuries stand out clearly and scandalizing the housekeeper as she came to ask whether he needed anything.

Kaisar came not long after, exhausted so much he just tossed the helmet on the table and slumped into the sofa next to Favaro.

"How was your day?" Favaro asked.

"Dreadful. His majesty was attacked by Olivia and that Furfur demon, who twisted the perception of his guard. He barely got away, and we've spent the past hours in uproar over securing the barrier against Furfur and its twisting influence. Imagine even the king falling to it!"

Bingo.

"Sounds nice. I hung out with Azazel today."

"Azazel is back?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Funny, that. Anyway, here's something fun. He either tried to tell Amira he wasn't the enemy anymore, or tried to apologize. It's hard to tell with the talking complications, but anyway, we may be getting first class accomodations when Amira and I go travel the world. You should definitely lament your family's misfortune in his eartshot," Favaro said. "Hey, how about you ask for the exact treasure that got your old man in trouble?"

"I have no need for riches. Wait, Amira?"

"So donate it to the demons whose slavery and genocide you supported."

"What would the point of that be when I get it from one of them anyway? And what do you mean with Amira?"

"Exactly. Just picture the look on Azazel's face when he realizes that's what he went through the effort for."

Kaisar finally looked up, all ready to argue and deemed it fit to notice the injuries.

"You are inconceivable! What did you get into now?"

"Azazel and I ran into that guy you're so smitten with. Rather stoic, very grandeur, much murder. Gotta say I'm having a hard time seeing what you see."

"The king did infiltrate the slums to fight Olivia?"

"Haha, no, some demon let him through. He wanted to make out with my student," Favaro said. "She's his fated bandaid, but she changed her mind about that and he ran for it, right into us."

"Ah, so he wasn't after you. Really, you shouldn't make it sound like that! It is not right."

"Not right? He's wanted me out of the way for years," Favaro said. "You know he sent out his Onyx Knights for me, right?"

Favaro knew there was a record for that, as Amira had recently caught wind of descriptions for new recruits on his arrest.

"He ... he wouldn't have killed you. You would've been arrested and sent to the island prison."

"The island that exploded with all the prisoners on it? You know it's still murder even if he gets slavery out of it first."

Kaisar fell into one of his brooding silences. He'd been prone to those even as a teenager whenever he feared he would dissapoint his father.

After a while, he said, "What do you mean, Azazel apologized to Amira? How can she even be here?"

"It's a long story, but we've got a project going." Favaro dangled the tooth from his fingers. "If nothing had happened, I would have taken this as a sign Nina is fated for something and tried to advise her. There's something bigger than us going on and we're just barely defying it."

He considered telling Kaisar about what exactly Amira was doing, but he still couldn't be sure of Kaisar's loyalties.

Someone screamed down the hall.

And there was Azazel bursting through the doors, having all of one second to take in the scene.

"What are you doing in _that_?" he snapped at Kaisar.

"He's our insurance this place won't be wrapped up," Favaro said, gesturing at the fancy room. "I mean, where would we be otherwise?"

"That won't last long," Azazel said. "This is the only way out, they'll be here in no way. Get into the slums, I'm destroying the tunnel."

Favaro took a deep breath. Ooh boy, how were they going to explain Charioce might maybe potentially not send anyone here because of Nina, without mentioning his crush on Nina?

Belphegor came staggering down the stairs, providing a much needed distraction. "Why was Felicia screaming?"

"Probably recognized me," Azazel said.

Okay, scratch not making it home, Kaisar had apparently hired the same house lady as in his former main mansion; Azazel has most likely to check out whether Laurus Lidfard was a suitably noble hearted victim. Hmm, the Red Troupe better not find out details like that.

"Felicia, you don't have to be afraid of lord Azazel," Belphegor said.

"That's _Azazel_?" Felicia squeaked from the doorway. "The one that invaded Anatae? Oh, master Lidfard, what have you gotten into?"

"It's a long story," Kaisar said. "You see—"

Favaro slapped Azazel on the back, cutting him off and ignoring the glare. "Long story short, tall dark and grumpy isn't into that anymore. Not gonna deny though his record is a pain in the ass."

Belphegor looked pained for reaons other than the wounds on her arm. "Lord Azazel, you should probably not be around here too often. You're no good for the fragile ties we have with the humans. The really, _really_ fragile ties."

"I'm just looking for Nina."

"She's at the riverside," Favaro said, and that should've been the aversion of drama right here, if not for the classical Lidfard Spirit Of Profound And Wholly Unnecesary Drama to posses Kaisar.

"Honestly, the poor girl must be heartbroken! Azazel, you better be careful with what you say."

Favaro tried to break his concentration with a well placed, "Speaking of being careful, Bel told me how exactly Nina got caught up into the rebellion. Something about your knights trying to burn her alive? You should probably go like, prepare a big apology bouqet or something."

"That I shall deal with in due time, but today it is important that Azazel does not throw his usual reckless self at a fragile soul," Kaisar said.

Azazel still just looked mostly confused. "What about Nina is _fragile_?"

"Did you forget or never learn in heaven? Hearts are wittle flowers in the winds, lambs in the pasture for wolves to prey upon if only the shepherd loses sight of the way."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Azazel snapped. "Nina could swallow wolves whole."

"It was a metaphor, of course, to describe her tragic love for Charioce XVII. You must be most careful on how to—"

"What."

Favaro pinched the bridge of his nose. "Kaisar, that's not what you're supposed to be lamenting."

"He seduced that poor child into letting him into the slums! A 26 year old man engaging in such a manner with a maiden ten years younger, a scandal upon itself, but to then use it for warfare! Honestly, Azazel, you yourself ought to be ashamed too for recruiting a child for your rebellion."

"Any more of that disgusting joke and I'm throwing you out that window."

"Yo, Kaisar, he doesn't know," Favaro said. "Also, Nina's older than Charioce, though I'm not sure how we're gonna count dragons years."

"No," Azazel said, but his eyes widened as he realized Favaro was serious.

"I wish I was a better liar, but yeah, fate has a thing for putting half blood girls with pink hairs and ties to dragons on the chopping block."

" _No_." Azazel's left eye started to twitch, it had be sinking in. Oh well then.

"That's what caught Angra Mainyu's curiosity," Favaro said."She let Nina and her entourage pass the barrier."

Azazel's face in full disgust was really kind of interesting. You'd think demons had more facial muscles than humans.

Aaaand there he raged into the tunnel, leaving behind a puff of black feathers.

"Great going, Kaisar. It's really amazing that after seven years of slavery, mutilation, rape, death games, and genocide, _that_ is what finally gets you to say something bad about Charioce."

· · · · · · ·

Nina. With. _Charioce_.

What the everliving chaos was going on.

Just before trying to burn through his neck, Charioce had those hands on Nina.

And she led him right into the slums, knowing Mugaro and Belphegor and others on Charioce's hitlist were here.

Kaisar could be a fool, but Favaro was a conspicious liar. Worse yet, it made a sickening amount of sense on why Nina walked away from Angra Mainyu. Dammit, he should have been more suspicious of that.

Nina was at the riverside, near a pile of boulders. Pink light enveloped her still and she was mostly dragon still, as far as visible with her wings wrapped around herself.

He landed on the rock against which she leaned, cracking the top and spat, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh ... hey, Azazel. Just a minute, I'm ... " She trailed off the fiercer he glared at her, and looked away. "I ... uh, I kinda solved a little of my transformation problem. You noticed that. I thinking clear as a dragon if I don't transform in a burst of light, but it takes longer that way."

Blabbering as she was wont to do, did she not feel bad at all?

"Thinking clear? Oh right, that's what letting Charioce into the slums is."

A little indignant, she said, "Angra Mainyu did. I have to get rid of Charioce, right? That's what you begged me to do. Take him down. Save the demons. And I will. If I can't do it as a dragon, maybe I can when I'm better in my mind." She became more frantic with every word.

"Not that!" Azazel snapped. " _How can you love him_?"

Nina went still like a deer in sudden light. It was true then.

"I ... I ..."

"You _what_?" He jumped before her, needing to look her in the face when she confessed that countless had suffered and died because she liked their murderer too much.

"I didn't choose to! It just happened. I didn't even know who he was until after the rebellion. I just ... it didn't go away even then."

"I can tell! You brought him here, risked all of us! Alone! If we'd been prepared, he could have died today! This could all be _over already_ but it's not because _you love him_. Somehow."

"I'm sorry."

Sorry? What good did that do?

"I do remember some things, images and feelings, I think. When I become a dragon because I like a guy, there's always fear and sadness below it. So I bet every time dragon me saw him, any kind of sense was overpowered, even if otherwise I'd know he was the enemy. That is the way I love him. It's stupid, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's stupid," he said, because he had plenty of experience with how stupid emotions could be. Not this kind, the one he'd loved hadn't been genocidal or even a murderer, but it _had_ destroyed him. And now trusting Nina had destroyed so much of what little he'd left, all for nothing. If he hadn't met her, he'd still be the rag demon, just as hopeless as before and Olivia would not have moved in. Dante and the others would be alive still, and ... and ...

He kicked the nearest boulder so hard it broke. The pieces splashed into the river, others clattered further down the shore.

"You can't kill either way? I know how to kill, and you know that too," Azazel said. "All you had to do was set him up for me! Or one of the wards! One moment of distraction, just ... we had a chance! There were thirthy seven demons part of the frontlines of the rebellion. Out of those, one left before we entered the city. The other was Belphegor. Today Charioce almost killed her, the last survivor. Is that what you think is a fair price for your date?"

"No! I didn't want anyone to pay. I tried to get the bracelet so he wouldn't use Dromos anymore! I thought I could distract him."

"Distracted with you. You didn't kill him, I bet you were just as distracted."

"Uh ... " About time she ran out of words.

"And then what? You would've kicked him out again? He didn't have or need all of Dromos to rule his kingdom! Oh, maybe you wanted another invasion from heaven. Some good they'll do us. I bet you they'll have Jeanne locked up right now, she won't change anything anymore."

Nina gritted her fangs. "I never killed anyone when aware of myself, okay? I thought about it but I just ... _can't_. I can't snuff out a life that is right in front of me."

This. She had been their supposed savior, only to be part of their downfall.

Everything was a damn cosmic joke. Not only was creating resistant warriors as easy as pacts, Nina was with half a foot in the enemy's camp.

"Really? Why don't you learn it? Or just leave it to someone who damn well knows how." His voice broke out of rage when the laughter threatened to creep in. Oh, this was better than before.

Charioce had bested hell, won everything where Azazel lost, and he owned Nina without even trying.

He couldn't look at her anymore. The thought of Charioce all over her made his stomach turn, to see her all conflicted but not hateful about loving _him_... it might as well be loving all his evil.

Another rock scattered under his kick before he flew away. If not for the barrier he might have gone into the hills and blown up something, but he had to settle for sitting atop the riverside road. The sight of the slums below distracted at least, poor as ever but thriving more now they didn't have to fear celebration or lighting fires. All of this might be better, but it would likely fall once Angra Mainyu dropped this barrier or Olivia got the upper hand. This was what he'd come for, his people.

Nina's arrival wasn't salvation when it could have been. All the while the rebellion struggled to come together, Charioce was having _fun_ with _Nina_.

Had Charioce known about her being integral to the resistance? Had he himself driven her further in?

Even then, he didn't understand how anyone could love Charioce, and ... oh. This had been Nina's problem with him, not knowing what to expect.

Not that this made the love thing more clear. Why wasn't she getting on Charioce's case about everything _he'd_ done?

He didn't _have_ to make sense of this, it was so much easier to let it be. But it'd fester if he didn't. Dammit, he had to talk to her again. This shouldn't feel so difficult. It was just words. He's invaded cities, he's discoursed history, this was _trivial_.

Nina lied a lot by smiling over everything, he didn't even understand that.

Restlessness didn't leave him in place for long. He flew to the tunnels, and spotted Belphegor as she flew up to the peak of a building, and rested there. He joined her.

She looked well, and for some reason carried blankets. "Mugaro healed you?"

"Yes. It's quite a miracle what ne can do. Lord Azazel, I understand you've given up on the rebellion, but might you and Mugaro stay a little longer so more can be healed?"

The last thing he wanted was Olivia catching wind of Mugaro's presence end giving her Cerberus's treatment. At the same time, Adva was right. Belphegor would not leave, nor would Cerberus.

"We'll see. I need to ... "

Do what exactly? There was still only one thing he had left Helheimr for. Where his pride was shambles, his people remained.

"Well, tell me if an infirmary for Mugaro must be made. I'll badger Cerberus about it, but for now I was going to bring Nina some blankets. Favaro says it's taking her time to to change and figure out how to get her clothes back, but that's a good thing? Honestly, today has not been easy with the strange new information, and then how the king factors into this ... "

"It doesn't bother you at all that she let him in?"

"Oh, it does, but that's for later. Nina still fights for us and right now she's cold and probably crying."

He might've looked slightly guilty, cause Belphegor added, "Did you make it worse?"

Not going to deal with another awkward conversation now. He grabbed the bundle from her and flew off.

· · · · · · ·

She'd messed everything up. Angra Mainyu had been in her face telling her how Chris centered she'd been thinking and she went right ahead and did it again. It was sheer luck Mugaro hadn't decided to see where she'd gone, only to run right into the Onyx Knights to be slaughtered. She could have told anyone and didn't even stop to think of it.

She was humanoid again and painstakingly remembered everything detail. Hopefully Favaro was right and it'd serve her, because right now it just sank her deeper. She couldn't hide forever, but for now she'd crawling into a crevice between the broken pillar, well out of sight of anyone.

Wings beat above, rocks clattered down. Azazel was back, despite her hopes.

"I want the full story."

"Huh?" She looked up only to get a face full of blankets.

"You wanted my story to be sure how I'll behave in the future. Return the favor."

He dropped himself somewhere on the other side of the left boulder, just out of sight. Judging by the tapping he was still angry and disgusted.

She scrambled for words but found nothing good to say. "Uhm ... what do you want to know?"

"How much of what went wrong that day was on me, or on you."

"Exposure makes for better control, dating Chris just sped it up. I don't need to have a crush to transform, it's just ... I don't know the right word. The way you treated me would've just gotten me pissed even if I'd had had more ... well, more in the mood. There is no good mood for being treated that way."

He stayed quiet for a while before he said, "You didn't know who he was?"

"Right. I was arrested when I went to Chris thinking he'd help us."

More of that silence. Please just get it over with.

"How can you _stay_ in love now you know what he is?"

"I ... I guess even in this shape, I live a little like a beast. What I feel and see is much more real than what I know. Or maybe it's just ... he was safe. _I_ am not safe for myself or those around me. That was most of my life ..." She swallowed. "I'm going to tell you something else I'm ashamed of, can you keep that a secret?"

"Fine."

"I killed my father. That's what's below my trigger with crushing on guys. I had my first crush, and transformed like I do with all my excitable feelings. Father tried to get me out of the small space. The hidden memory and the threat was always there, on the brink, whenever I crushed on anyone. Everyone in the village knew but me. I just felt it without knowing why. That's what I fled from. If fate steered me, perhaps all it needed to do was time me right.

I found paradise in Anatae. It was going through the street without anyone fearing me, it was the chase of fortune to bring something good home for once. It's Chris on the streets in every stolen moment of happiness, every turned in dance where I could lose myself and trust him to lead. That the dragon became calm felt like growing stronger and nothing about this all, about him, reminded me of home.

I tried to put Chris and Charioce together, but at the same time I didn't want to. You're right, I could have used what I knew for the rebellion. Twice over, first for support, later for defeat, I didn't want to get any of my human friends involved. I wanted that little world to _stay_ my haven. Now that's anchored so deep, anything I throw against it just transforms it. I called it love once, but I guess I never really knew him. Angra Mainyu had all these words for it I can't remember, but I think, maybe craving him is the right word."

Azazel scoffed. "Doesn't that disgust you?"

"No ... I hate it, but I don't feel disgust at him. I don't think I can."

"What else could he possible to get you to finally loathe him?"

Helplessly, she shrugged. "I don't know how. I have no answers for this."

"There can't be any answers to something this atrocious.

"He _has_ tried to explain himself to me, you know. About how he can do this."

"Spit it out."

"He says that not feeling guilty is for the greater good of killing Bahamut, and he thinks I might stand at his side because fate says so. Today he let me lead him into danger and ... He does keep letting me go despite everything, so he must be capable of some good feelings. Maybe it's a whole lot of hatred that's keeping him from seeing what's right, like my love threatens to keep me from seeing the truth. What do you think?"

"That's it, I can't stand this bullshit anymore. There are only two things I'm an expert in : violence and evil. People aren't as simple as being just meat bags of _feelings_. When I got my heart back, _it didn't matter_. By then it was my nature to play with humans till they broke. I've seen people break for hate and love alike, and destroy each other for either. So much of what Charioce does is like what I did for _fun_ , save for one difference : he puts dress it up with a cloud of words. Even if he fights Bahamut, destroying my tribe is a goal on its own."

"He also talked about that, he thinks peace is just impossible."

"Tch. He hasn't tried ... _I_ haven't tried either because I didn't think it was important. Any spite with the demon clan he should have taken up with me and the elite. That's not what he did when he came to Cocytus. Get it through your head : the beginning and end of his actions is that he wants my people to suffer! I don't give a shit for his reasons, and you shouldn't either. Stop him at all costs, because the cost of him staying alive and in power is worse than anything we could pay."

The thread of self destruction always ran through anything Azazel said or did, even now.

We. Herself too?

Might she destroy herself by giving over to loving Chris? She'd tried seeing her attraction to him as something to defy for the sake of all others, a pull rather than a knife. Thinking like this didn't come naturally, not even now. Oh, she would stop loving him if only she had that choice.

Spirits, what were choices even?

"About trying ... I saw your drawing of me. You're wrong, I'm not that beautiful," Nina said. "I'm not born for rescuing people. I'm either an accident or a concoction of fate for Chris. And I'm not kind enough."

"We don't expect you to be kind, just smart enough to know where to shoot."

"No, you don't get it. You did expect that! When you first came to me you thought the suffering of the demons would move me, and I'm not enough like that to see it on my own. It takes all these other heavy matters and failures to get you and Jeanne down from saving everyone. Meanwhile I was here for so long with my nose on all the atrocities, yet it remained my paradise. I didn't even see it as wrong, because ... well, because I just am that way."

She pulled her knees up and closed her wings and the blankets around herself. "You know, I also killed a young man I never met that day. I didn't even think of that till just now. My father's life wasn't valuable more than that of the young man, but it acts like that on me. And when Charioce set that trap for you on the hillside, I only went to save you. I didn't even think of the others until you pointed them out. So it's easy for me to feel like Chris is the most important, especially if that's all my dragon self knows.

Out of sight out of mind unless you're someone I know, that's me. I was always raised to be considerate and never knew anything else, but I still have to choose. Then there's you who came from worse, but now you don't hesitate to throw yourself in danger even for people you don't know. I don't know what way I would have been, if I was the kind of lost Angra Mainyu expected me to be, but I might have just forgot about everyone but Chris eventually. If I hadn't spend so much time around you and your rebellion, because it did become easier to see everyone as valuable."

She could just imagine the blanked out look, either nothing she said had changed anything or he was still boiling with rage waiting to explode. She kind of wanted to be angry at herself, to be honest. Something so close to anger had pushed her into being a dragon today. It was gone now and the transformation as distant as ever, but it should be hers.

Azazel moved back atop the boulder, his voice closer now. "Part of me just sought death, but was too proud to let me do it directly. How you'd think I was anything like that I don't know."

"That such is part of it, I don't think it matters to the people you saved."

"Heh. Then it won't matter either why you do what you do, or don't."

"It matters to me though, and it'll matter to them if the way I am means mistakes."

Another silence, this time broken by the beating of wings.

Azazel landed behind her as well as he could in the narrow space. Still avoiding looking her in the face.

But he placed his knuckles under her wing joint to push it aside. She looked up to find his other hand held open next to her, offered with the words, "We'll try again."

She couldn't take that offer so easily; there were no snakes right now but the scars were there. She was sure more and more Charioce had done something to really broke him. She'd let Chris go before and he'd suffered for it, and might again because she'd done the same at least three times. It didn't feel fair to quietly promise she could be reliable.

He withdrew his hand when she stayed put. "You're just going to sit there? And here I thought you wanted me to get out of heaven."

"I think I do understand not moving a little better now. Maybe for a different reason, but ... there's lives depending on me. Yours included. Maybe less than before now we have wards and Mugaro, but ... I'm scared. At some time I might go to him after all. I don't want to forget about everyone for him, but once I am there I won't mind, will I? I'll have changed to be someone who won't mind. Whom will I try to be in the future?"

Azazel climbed back out the crevice. Nina would have stayed, but after she'd said that it was almost offensive he'd just leave. She didn't just pour all that out to end the conversation like this. Just utter silence — like Chris. She couldn't stand that anymore.

After wrapping the blankets better around herself, she climbed out.

Azazel sat on the edge of the rock, not facing her but the wreckage of the divine ship. It still lay on the opposite bank, not even collapsing under its weight. Construction had started to take it apart, pieces being stored on floating islands to bring them to the capital.

"Changed your mind?" he asked.

Nina sat next to him, dangling her legs over the edge. "I can't kill him."

"I'll do that."

"You won't be able to either. He made such a mess of you today, even with Favaro to help out."

"Tch."

"Don't you _tch_ me." She gestured at the ruined ship. "You want me to try again, but when you try at all you're trying too hard. I don't want any of us to die, myself included."

He waited again to reply. Maybe he really just needed that time to think over what to say?

"Let's make a deal : I'll try not to die if you don't lose yourself over _him_."

"That sounds like a bad kind of deal, paying with things we can't really control," Nina muttered. "How'd we even measure whether we're trying hard enough?"

"Look, it's the best I can come up with. Take it or leave it," he huffed.

"It'll be okay if I'll tell you next time I do something Chris related? And you tell me before you rush into something dangerous, and we'll either go together or get help." She tried to sound as positive as possible, even got a smile going.

"Stop that," Azazel said. "I know you're not happy, so don't bother lying."

Dropping the smile was a strange kind of relief, though not as much than seeing his face so far from anger.

· · · · · · ·

The time of vespers approached by the time Jeanne found a moment's rest to return to the church in Valeria. She had spent the past days hopping from official appearances to emergencies to meetings all over the land. The unicorn's gates and nigh telepathic understand where helpful, but gods were always on her trail to coax her back to heaven. They prioritized not kicking a scene in public or outright confronting the unicorn, so Jeanne had to watch her step, leaving no moment unguarded. More than once, nameless inspiration tipped her off when to move or cancel an event — Michael be thanked.

Chiron held a small group of human prodigies around him, varying between students, squires and sages. Mirin had attention issues and far more knowledge of sexual matters than was helpful, though the local Arligau made a good assistant.

They managed, so far. Jeanne wished she could spend more time with them though because the liberated demons still lacked a strong core. A few other cities had communities forming in the way of individual tribes, as Azazel described. They weren't accustomed to greater unity such as was needed now.

The unicorn opened a gate into the inner courtyard behind the church, quiet in the evening, though a few demon children sat on the roof. They stared in wonder and Jeanne smiled at them.

"Would you please call lady Mirin and lord Chiron?"

The kids got up, but rather than either of them Jeanne got another face when a puff of smoke revealed a tiny dog just before her.

"Hey there, saint."

"Coco, right? Hello."

"I've been looking all over the place for you, but you were gone, ruff! Lady Naberius of Anatae wants to forge an alliance," Coco said. "Or to be less stiff about it, hey, remember how Cerberus saved your butt? You owe us."

"Indeed I do. What message do you have for me then?"

"Favaro Leone's with us, he says Charioce has plans concerning Bahamut. Anything you can do with that?"

Jeanne's mind reeled. On top of everything else, now this?

"That would explain certains things I saw or heard about seven years ago. But, the gods would have sensed Bahamut's return," Jeanne said. "There hasn't been a word about it in heaven!"

Did they know, was it a secret? No, Sofiel was already going behind Gabriel's back, she would've told Jeanne.

"Maybe they got in the way," Coco said. "Dromos can do a lot of stuff we don't get."

"I wish I could place this before heaven. I do not agree with Gabriel on certain things, but I agree less with Odin," Jeanne said. "I do not know what will happen if I return with this news from a demon."

"Sounds like you got trouble up there. Explain?"

Jeanne gave Coco a quick overview, which earned more of a response than she'd expected.

"Give him news of Bahamut being involved and he'll twist it to implicate Gabriel for not noticing. It coming from a demon isn't your only concern," Coco said.

She was now being advised by an adorable demonic Pomerian on divine politics. Oh life.

"On that note, have you been handing out feathers from Azazel?" Coco pulled out one of those from his collar. "Snagged this one from some nobody who says you convinced'em to cooperate that way. Bad idea."

"Why?"

"Cause we got politics too. You got any precautions against backfiring? Please tell me you got ties other than Mirin."

Jeanne cast a glance at the unicorn, who tilted vun head and quietly indicated vun had no idea either.

"Looks like I'm not leaving till I can tell Cerby something better."

· · · · · · ·

With Jeanne now having a secret alliance with a unicorn and Michael in her corner, and a very daring demand she really should have turned down, Sofiel was in a bind. The kind Gabriel would call the first step to falling into hell.

She'd been pouring over Indra's Web for hours every day, tracking the opinions on Jeanne. Chiron's site became popular on his theory of benevolent guidance to humans breeding a new kind of faith. A few people who had known Mirin before her fall had joined up and were making a moderately loud case in her favor; some even suggested her deviancy should be absolved now that Michael had made a perfectly harmless nephilim.

A speck of trouble among the higher ranks drew her attention. Someone had logged into the justice system for a list of Azazel's crimes and found ... inconsistencies. Not the acts itself, but the definitions, and that had led to other discoveries with other wards. Jeanne's words lingered in her mind, yet she hesitated to look at what files had been requested.

She found chaos.

Adding demons to the list for potential victims had royally messed up the way the fornication law was processed because the system could not tell the difference between pact induced demonic nature and hybrids. That was just one of many incompatibilities — demons did not at all outlaw inbreeding, and it appeared a number had been sentenced just for being born with demon blood.

The cases predating Zeus were much harsher in that regard, while during Zeus's reign a lax persecution effort was put through; officially a crime, rarely bothered with. It was easily dismissed as Zeus's lustful habits on the surface, but there was surprisingly little resistance from other pantheons. Some old god's reports mentioned a Miguel fiasco, but she couldn't find the name in the register.

Fornication with humans had been outlawed fairly soon after Zeus's fall, but it had taken longer for any affection to be outlawed. The rules of Zeus's pantheon were different and on top of that Bacchus had been held in high regard once, both among gods and humans. He was very powerful, and that made it a hard sell he'd strayed from the light. But that had not been the dominant issue anyway, it was the breach of protocol. He got exile to earth where actual angels were ... well, Sofiel wasn't sure. They also went into exile, just not on earth. Sometimes they returned, either as purer gods or fallen angels.

This had a further complication due to the mergure of systems, which Sofiel, Bacchus and a few random demon kids had put through far more intensely than expected.

The demons did have a magical equivalent under Lucifer, but it was very shaky. It very much relied on a cognitive report crudely placed on the laylines of the summoning system, which allowed the transfer of memory packages. The system originally was for keeping track of lost members— the kind of thing one might call altruism if one was so inclined. Heaven would typically call is possessiveness over troops.

Heaven's system got into knots with itself over how to handle conflicting laws of the three realms, but nevertheless, ten thousands of cases of torture, rape, enslavement and murder had piled in connected to human faces. Charioce lay at the very center now. The Seel Soh Ketom spell would take on him if only they could get close enough to weaken him.

This was all fine and well last week. Now there was just one tiny caveat : it included Azazel. And somehow, someone had leaked to Indra's Web that the system registered him as acting in defense.

Specifically, people in the palace had requested a long list of crimes tied to _Dione_. Oh dear Elyon. Several thousands of murder accounts because when Sofiel had adjusted the system, she had defined as murder anything that wasn't defensive or passed a trial. It'd been a passing whim, even. The little demon Arai had mentioned it wasn't fair to hit anyone without provocation and sure, that made sense and she kind of wanted to expand the amount of crimes Charioce had committed. Tying this new system to Dromos's influence and Charioce's reign now leaked to heaven where it had no detailed execution. Lacking anything, it adopted the rules Sofiel had written, reprocessed the entire history system of the sinner's hall including Dione's feats and applied wherever it fit. One could only imagine the chaos if the system got to the rest of the population.

Everything was so serene outside the window, one wouldn't imagine how the social structure threatened to collapse.

Who had leaked this?

She was about to research this when a message arrived from the Magedatidot.

 _I did. Enjoying the times?_

What in El Elyon's name ...

 _Your fellow angels are not enjoying the times. Gabriel is off to speak to a cardinal, so now Odin's in the congregation hall trying to hook in on the angelic upper echelon being very, so very confused about the definition of sin._

Not missing a beat, she opened a gate to the hall, where she found indeed a swarm of angels pouring over a screen. Urlain, Odin and Reinier were heading them, a cduo she wasn't sure how to interpret. Schwertleit cast Sofiel a stern look, but didn't address anyone; _what did you get me into_ she meant.

"Defense? Not culpable?" Odin said.

"This can't be right," Reinier said. "He invaded heaven!"

Urlain's face twisted in horrified realization. "Oh dear Elyon, he was in the carriage! Jeanne d'Arc invited him."

"Perhaps he tempted Jeanne d'Arc onto her blasphemous path, exploiting the good will he earned from tending to her child," someone said and there the conspiracy theories took off.

Loud clapping drew everyone's attention upward.

The Magedatidot stood atop one of the pillars, its fire extinguished. "All of you, such a fine display of pack behavior. Not so useful, unfortunately, but it's good you're trying to unite."

Cue murmurs of who that was, versus the few who recognized vun.

The Magedatidot smiled etherreally at Sofiel, like rubbing in her doom. "On behalf of the future, I am so grateful you adjusted the justice system."

Everyone turned to Sofiel, who could only say, "Lady Gabriel approved it."

"Indeed she did, and it is so useful! Finally some progress. For example, let's have a look at our recent disaster." The Magedatidot conjured up a massive screen that detailed both heaven's report on Nina, and the new additions that regarded Nina through Sofiel's rules, plus those of Qhispe's tribe. Heaven's conclusion was stuck before completion because the other two defined the case differently.

"If I may add my own : arresting Ninati Navrátil for forced entry and release of dangerous criminals is reasonable," the Magedatidot said. "However, execution for that or for being the scourge of the eastern mountains not so much, exactly for the reasons Qhispe laid out : the system doesn't register the actual activies nor take into account mitigating circumstances. She would be considered no criminal under the other definitions, because what would punishment deter?"

Ve teleported onto another pillar, giggled all the way.

"Honestly, our justice is a haphazard construction of poor information, execution without trial and whatever crook wants to be a bounty hunter. We pay them for this through the hands of outcast gods. Such spiritual paragons we are. Oh, it is entirely within our powers to arrange for taking in criminals alive and putting them through a trial. If only we could be bothered. Alas. We favor to have them murdered. So by our own standards —" Ve pulled up the profile of the rag demon. "— if he keeps doing this we're legally obligated to pay him. Might conflict with killing him though."

"Heaven will fall before we pay a fallen angel!" Baldr shouted. "One with such a reprehensible record of treachery cannot return to our graces by killing some humans only for the sake of demons. It is unethical."

"In all seriousness," the Magedatidot said. "Who speaks ethics right now? We're talking the law. Hold yourself to the same standard, lest you render the law worthless."

Odin stamped his spear on the group. "We are the creators of the very law, if it does not cover present circumstance then we refine it. Who are you to challenge the powerful?"

The Magedatidot set a finger over vun lips. "You're not worth knowing my true name. None of you are."

"Are your goals not worth our attention either?" Odin asked. "You show up here, act strange and incite further pointless debate. What are you after?'

"My goals are in your best interest, but not to your liking," ve said. "Gods, demons, and men are of different threads. Even so, those threads are all part of the world, part of life. Let there be no more war between our tribes even beyond the defeat of our common enemy. It'd be nice if people listened if I said _that_ , but I find things go awry when I do too much of that. I try being a prophet and it barely gets me anywhere either."

Someone whispered to Odin that the Magedatidot was the one who had relayed the prophecy of the holy knight. Shocked, Odin geared up to blare something, but a deafening sound echoed as the Magedatidot clapped vun hands together a single time. Every cringed.

"Very well, that is all for today. Enjoy sorting out your legal system and infighting! At least you can." Ve teleported away, leaving a very confused hall.

Sofiel made herself scarce, but rather than return to her office she opened a gate right into the prison.

The vast pale space offered no shadow or even floor, just one floating construct. Bacchus and Hamsa were thankfully still awake, if not sober. Sofiel landed on their platform and kicked all bottles off.

"Get up, now."

"Bwuh?" Bacchus said.

"We are are risk of a power struggle at the worst of times and our legal system just broke. Bacchus, you served under the pantheon of Zeus. I need to know what laws were displaced by the current system, and what claim Odin may or may not have. And ..."

He was just a duck now, everything about him screamed not worth one's side. "Hamsa, we need to talk about your past. About El Elyon."

 **· · · · · · ·**

While Nina retrieved a demon skull from some crevice, Azazel's eyes fixed on the footprints. Charioce's marks. He had walked in here, using the children to enjoy himself and then went on to ...

He was back at just plain _no_ , like he'd burned down all emotions for now. Nothing had weight save for the two spinning drones of wards and Nina's love. Almost dead at the hands of a human in these streets. That human. Whom Nina had almost certainly made out with and liked it. While aware of the millions of corpses in his wake. Because some vague thing called fate. Time and again his thoughts reeled into _holy chaos this cannot be real_.

None of this made any damn sense even when it explained certain things.

Nina returned to his side, holding the skull now wrapped in cloth.

"I don't know much about hell," she said. "At home we only talk of it as a bad place we had to leave behind, so how do funerals work there?"

"We cremate."

"I mean, do you know any rituals?"

"I never had to be part of any before. Others do know."

He led her to a pyre hall he'd spotted earlier.

Thick with smoke and magic, the hall brimmed with mourning song and lit flames for honoring the passing. Pyres were kept burning even if none were there turn to ashes, their flames rising and lowering at the instruments.

It was the first time in five years the demons to turn grief kept inside outward by flames. Azazel would join, but neither knew the rituals nor had the ease to do so. He stayed behind.

Smoke didn't harm the demons, but to Nina it was unpleasant so she went in quickly. When she found someone to explain what to do, she placed the skull on the pyre and paid respect by lighting a candle — she used fire from her own mouth for this.

Ritual varied per region of hell. Some recited phrases, others performed a farewell dance. The last time he'd seen a funeral, he hadn't even believed in an afterlife. Now he wasn't so sure. Mugaro had brought him back somehow, with dim memories of Michael ... nah, maybe that was just the association with Mugaro, and he hadn't been entirely dead.

Speak of the angel, Mugaro appeared beside him. "I was looking for you, Azazel. What are you doing here?"

He nodded at Nina, who came over once she spotted Mugaro.

"I just found a skull I thought I'd bring it here. Azazel explained about how it's different in hell," she said.

"Oh. Hey Azazel, can you explain how the bad guys got in? Nobody will tell me."

Nina looked like someone was stirring her guts with a knife, though that was quickly exchanged for ordinary guilt and wanting to escape. She was so used to smiling things away, she didn't know what face to put on when she didn't have to show anything.

"Angra Mainyu let them in," Azazel said. Mugaro was too young to be explained this stuff. Maybe later they'd break Nina's — ugh. That. He'd never understood the concept of blashemy when he was in heaven all that much, but dammit this had to be it.

"I bet that was to help that Olivia person," Mugaro said. "She really needs to stop being here. You agree with me, right, Nina?"

"And so does Azazel," Nina said.

"That means we're staying?"

"Yes, we're staying," Nina said. "We're still the rebellion, and that includes fighting against all bad rulers, Olivia too."

Mugaro lit up.

"But no world savior nonsense. We focus on Olivia. If we can take Charioce down somehow, all the better," Azazel said.

Nina flinched just a little at that last part. She wasn't ready, she might never be, and in his turn he might never understand that. Charioce was misery and death to Azazel. Nina had better experiences with him and he had not directly attacked her, but still. Loving him when she knew all he did?

That was Nina's life now. She wasn't disgusted with it, just disturbed with herself. That was something, at least.

Mugaro spotted a few injured people and went to them, soon nur blue eyes was alight. It inevitably drew attention. Olivia would have to go down soon, before she got the idea that Mugaro might be a worthwhile target. Telling nur to stop wasn't really an option though. Mugaro with the ability to heal was a blessing to a sick tribe, they needed it. Mugaro needed it too, after all that time in the arena mercy killing. That wasn't a life right for anyone, let alone someone as soft as Mugaro.

He'd just have to be more on guard. Oh, and get the others on guard duty.

"If it came down to Mugaro or Charioce, would you at least be able to defend nur, even if you lost your mind again?" he asked Nina, voice hushed as much as possible.

"Yes," Nina said without hesitation. "So ... how should I tell Mugaro once we get home? I think it'll come up in the future again."

"Let me handle that," he said.

"Okay ... and what about everyone else?"

"What about them?"

"What can I tell the others so they'll trust me again?" she asked. "Favaro said I messed up a whole lot, and people got hurt."

"And the Onyx Knights killed a bunch," Azazel said. "Live with that, that's all I know. I can't even give them a reason why they should trust _me_ ," he said, a weak smirk with the words. It vanished quickly.

"So ... what do you think of me?"

 _Why the hell would you want Charioce to put his hands on you how can that be enjoyable what the hell._

"You're on my side far enough I'm not going to worry about your alliance that much," he said, and that was true enough. The internal screaming was wholly irrelevant.

"I really do want to try rebellion again," she said urgently. "For everyone here, even if that puts me at odds with my heart."

Eyetwitch. "That doesn't make sense. You're not throwing your whole heart out, you're just not letting that one stupid part control the rest of it."

"I guess I'm not. I couldn't even if I wanted to ... I wonder whether I might have to one day. If that's what it takes."

He crossed his arms. "It's not worth it."

Mugaro headed out with a group of demons, intending to get off mourning group for healing. Azazel followed, Nina close on his trail. She stayed the entire time he watched over Mugaro without saying much. The silence wasn't unwelcome after this loud day, though he had a sense something he'd misplaced something.

· · · · · · ·


	18. Catechumens

**· · · · · · ·**

The unicorn's gate spun open to a barren wasteland all to familiar to Jeanne. On this very spot, she once had held camp in Bahamut's shadow.

Once again the scene brimmed with power, albeit a very different, subtle kind. No fierce winds or rising spirits, but a sharp teal pillar of light that ended in the very spot Bahamut had once vanished to. A star pulsed below the low, dark clouds, pulling them in endlessly. Underneath it lay a crater lined with blue lights.

She got off and crawled closer to the edge. The pillar rose from a man made hole in the ground.

Jeanne tried to sense anything that indicated Bahamut, but there wasn't the slightest sign. The power of Dromos had to be blocking it. All she got was a strong sense of illness from the unicorn.

"Could you—"

"No no _no_!I'm _not_ going in there!" Coco said.

Jeanne petted the dog's head. "That's alright."

Upon returning to the unicorn, she folded her hands and prayed one line, _Lord Michael, can you enter?_

That was far more to ask than the usualy vague support or even directions she was used to request. It didn't feel natural at all to use her god for spying, but it had to be done. And perhaps it shouldn't feel strange.

The impression of yes existed, and then nothing for a while.

He couldn't enter.

Something about this whole set up prevented the radiation of Bahamut's power to reach into the world.

"It's blocked even to spirits. I really think we should warn heaven," Jeanne said.

"And I really think you need to realize you can't give that Odin guy such fodder," Coco said, before taking on as fancy a voice as a tiny dog could "Oh would thou not see what a bad leader Gabriel is she didn't put any guards up around the site of Bahamut's exile! No checking in for ten years either? Give him some time to fail to think about it as well. You could tell a few angels you trust though."

Sofiel of course, and perhaps Reinier, Urlain and Schwertleite. Michael expected at least Urlain would ally nurself with her. Did she interpret that right?

Chiron and Mirin waited in the inner churchyard, both prickly for having to wait.

Jeanne explained them what she could about Dromos, with Chiron just barely being courteous enough to hear her out before declaring, "That's not possible! There is no way a human could invent something that would block out the very senses of the gods."

Up close, divine certainty was a lot more annoying than impressive.

Coco recognized Mirin and wanted to rant at her about social things. Jeanne would have accompanied them at any other time, but was too exhausted now. Not physically, it seemed impossible to tire with the unicorn at her side, but mentally. It never felt like it got better.

She retreated to her room, a simple cot with enough room for the unicorn. With just a candle and no prayers, she tried to think.

On top of everything, now they had to deal with Bahamut, and Charioce potentially being the only stronghold against Bahamut if his intent was indeed to fight it. Jeanne had not been keen on going to war with Anatae outright, but now it had such a complication she wasn't even sure what the right answer was.

The unicorn nudged her, and opened a small vision circle before her. It opened to a welcome face.

"Jeanne! Is something the matter?"

"Yes, but first I would like to hear how all is going in heaven."

"Oh, we have a great deal of dull political concerns." Judging from her frown, it was the head achey kind of dull. "Odin is gathering the members of his old pantheon around, but heaven is divided. It leaked that Ninati was attacked by Dione and there's footage of Azazel giving up during his attempt to flee, which raises questions of its own. I may have let it slip that Azazel and El had a positive connection. Odin's words do not find good weather everywhere. But there's enough storm that we consider sending Qhispe home in secret. She's been able to transform back and lady Gabriel's worked on healing her, as far she can work with a demon. As you can imagine, that is also raising questions. She's playing up the ascended demon angle."

"No. Lady Sofiel, we cannot afford to alienate the demons further."

"This is the best we can do. Eons of beliefs do not just go away. Ninati and Qhispe are more like deviations that confirm the rule when we had Azazel going all out with the darkness."

"Surely lady Gabriel can steer things back in the right direction? Did she not only adapt the incarnate evil views recently?"

Sofiel shook her head "Getting lady Gabriel to admit mistake in such a time will be even more difficult now that Odin jeapardizes her position. Jeanne, why do you sound so urgent? You understand this all will take time."

"We may not have much time before something much more drastic happens. I must tell you something in private, not using heaven's channels. Please, I know it will be difficult, but can you come down to earth?"

"Alright, I will round up a few things and join you."

She wished to see Sofiel again in person, too, but that seemed inappropriate to say, so she said, "Thank you, lady Sofiel."

 **· · · · · · ·**

When Azazel found Belphegor she was sticking metal in plants for some reason and attaching those to wires that went into the walls. A few of the larger demons carried in parts of a mecha dregged from the river.

"What is this about?"

"We have less magic casters, but no loss of magic itself," Belphegor said. "Cerberus asked me to figure out a way commoners can use magical energy without being advanced casters like us. This will be heating the rooms. If that works out I'm thinking about woodless hearths too. Imagine, we can get through the winter without anyone losing their last strength to the cold!"

She threw herself at the mecha and gave rushed instructions to take it apart before rattling on, "Sometimes I wonder what I could have done if I wasn't so occupied with humankind, but I don't have much time for that. I have a busy schedule : working with Rachel and Tris to figure out what the zommorods are, laying a magical infrastructure — I had no idea so much could be improved on a society with technology — and making sure society itself is in order. Cerberus knows what to do but she doesn't always care and, well, I'm busy. You see—"

"You can stop, I changed my mind."

And there was the starstruck gazing. "Really? How?"

How. Not a why. Good question. He expected himself to make stupid mistakes, but then he had to tell Nina why her mistake was stupid, so he wasn't that universally blind and maybe it was also kind of ... jarring. She would go ahead despite everything, and he didn't?

"I figured we'll just plan ahead with me and Nina's liablities better mapped. Charioce needs to die, I never went back on that."

"I knew you wouldn't be able to abandon us so easily!"

Dammit, Nina was already accusing him of being a good influence and now Belphegor got all glowy about his reliability. Once all of this was over, any reputation he had in the court of Lucifer would lay in the same ashes as Charioce's reign. Assuming they survived.

Since Eligos hadn't survived, Rita might be their best shot for ideas, but of course, she was captive (and better not have helped Charioce too much). Favaro and Cerberus were pretty smart too, if they wanted to be. They just had to get them to use it, which Azazel didn't expect Cerberus to be very cooperative with.

He followed Belphegor to Cerberus's home anyway, what else was there to do?

The human Cerberus kept around stood just outside the place, wringing his hands and nearly jumping out of his shoes at their arrival.

"Nils, what happened here?" Belphegor asked.

"Olivia came by again," he said. "I'm supposed to not let anyone enter. We have a protocol now, she keeps coming by—"

Azazel pushed into the room.

Splatters of blood covered the walls. Every fabric was singed. Cerberus hunched up on her couch, maimed but strangely calm as she held out a letter to him. "She left without trying to kill me this time."

A formal seal that radiated power to be reckoned with. Slicing it open with a claw,revealed perfect paper with demonic script.

 _Respected lord below the Morning Star_

 _My profound apologies for targetting your dog, but she did not inform me she operated under your command. May I presume she was a little rebellious in your absence?_

 _Regardless of such misshaps, I would like to extend an invitation for a political meeting. I wish to assure the Morning Star I have no hostile intentions and would like such relayed to him through you. In addition, we have much to discuss regarding the demon realm's predicament. You shall find my intentions are mutually beneficiel to our tribes._

 _You are cordially invited to our refurnished amphitheater at sundown two days from now. I would invite you tomorrow evening already, but the king expects company and I wish to prepare should this be an assault. I advise you to have similar vigilance._

 _With utmost regard,_

 _Olivia of the Sacrament._

"She's going to play a game with you," Cerberus said. "She'd been doing that with all the humans, even the king."

"She doesn't want to provoke lord Lucifer, or so she says."

"So she says, but doesn't do. She can teleport better than even me," she said. "Nothing stopped her from contacting lord Lucifer for all those years that she's been at it. It is not hard for her to figure out he is in Helheimr, but lord Lucifer hasn't said a word about her. He's still of the opinion we should wait for a good opportunity."

"How do you know?"

"I have a beacon in the hills," Cerberus said. "You don't think someone of my rank would come here just to entertain humans, do you?"

"And you didn't tell me this why exactly?"

"No point," she said. "He won't act."

He couldn't argue with that, unfortunately.

Besides, how would he break the new situation? Lucifer might be willing to ally with the gods again, but the gods themselves? Then there was Mugaro. Lucifer would demand him to be put right into the war.

Cerberus didn't push the idea, so he brought it to Olivia's sources.

She rejected the idea of insiders, swore up and down she would be able to smell them. Perhaps Angra Mainyu had weird powers.

"Favaro should be here soon," Cerberus said. "I am so racking up his guard duty, and maybe he'll have some smart ideas on how to take Olivia down."

"I'll tell Nina," Azazel said.

"The one who was slobbering with Charioce?" Cerberus said. "Can we trust her at all?"

Tensing up just a little meant his hand cracked the fragile door handle, and getting himself covered in splinters.

Cerberus stared for a beat, before continueing with, "It bet there was tongue."

"Shut up!" And there went the door out of its hinges.

"You're dealing so well with this," Mimi said.

"What about you?" Cerberus asked Belphegor.

Belphegor's face twisted and distaste. "I find myself having to remind myself she's on our side over and over. Let's just keep it with that. I know she means well, but ... "

"Till next time she gives king genocide a pass?" Cerberus said.

"She gave her word she won't plan anything with Charioce without my knowledge." Azazel let the bite go uncontrolled at Charioce's name. "She meant it. "

Favaro arrived and whistled at the door. "What did that poor wood do to you?"

"Tch."

"Anyway, heard you all worry. How about Amira just keep an eye on Nina whenever she leaves? Happy with that?"

"I'm going to be happy when I _sleep_ ," Cerberus snarled. "But yes. Once Mimi's awake, I'll have her look around for whatever Olivia's setting up."

"You can sleep now," Azazel said.

"No," Cerberus growled. "If she catches me too long, she _can_ kill me. Get rid of her first."

"I'll try." That would've been _I will_ once, but he couldn't take those risks anymore.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"It's the best we can do," Durahanem said as she handed Nina the bowl.

The food was a little more colorful due to being harvested from hellish plants, but as scarce as ever. This time Nina had no money to contribute, and there was nothing to be bought anyway. People only did not starve entirely now because there was nobody to punish them for having gardens.

She took a spoonful of saltless broth and tried to mean it when she said, "Nice."

Durahanem already walked away.

There also was some bread, and lacking anything that spoiled easily, olive oil was the only thing to flavor it with. Nina's attempt to eat this got her choking up, almost hurling.

After the good food of home and heaven, this was too close to the miserable food of her time as a slave.

She let it be and went to her new room, a quiet trek.

Anyone of the inner circle kind of avoided her. Belphegor had been informed and told her friends the truth. It didn't spread beyond that, but other demons certainly picked up on the tension around Nina.

At least it was better than at home. No fake smiles, or chains hidden in the bushes in case she lost herself. It wasn't the dragon that caused the distrust now. It was her boyfriend walking away again, back to his lavish castle, because she let him.

Cerberus had assigned her a cave close to her house to sleep in, big enough in case she would accidentally transform. It would be within earshot of Cerberus's home, in case she needed something.

Or felt like running off unsupervised to bring in any enemies. Spirits, it'd be so easy to just blame this all on fate, but she knew it wasn't just that.

Nina went to bed on a growling stomach and struggled to fall asleep. Can't do that, her psyche insisted, she had to relive all of today and was very insistent on how nice it felt to kiss Chris, at the same time as it dragged her back to being trapped underground thanks to him.

The danger she had brought to everyone felt so unreal, so irrelevant compared to the fantasy. How could she solve this, if it came so naturally?

And on top of all that, Azazel now knew.

What did he expect from her? What did _try again_ mean exactly? Absurd as it was, he felt like half the problem she had to face now. He wasn't the rebellion, not even the main face of it, but he was she constant of her involvement in the rebellion. Her new life.

She wished she could take that life into her dreams at least, but this night was no different. Once more, her time belonged to the enemy and her friends were missing or icons of suffering.

Unable to control anything, she followed herself through the dream as a dragon running through the world, never flying. Far off mountains merged into the hills of Anatae until she stomped through the gates.

Chris waited for her in the park, bowing to take her hand and kiss it. She was a naive girl for him, blushing and eager.

"Do you want to dance again?" And he swung her around while she wore rags and iron around her bare foot.

 _Do you want to be my slave again?_

The juxpaxion of sweetness and the iron weighed on her ankle as he softly asked, "Are you enjoying prison life?"

 _Are you enjoying the pain I put you through?_

Nina wanted to curl up and roar it away, or lacking that, pretend nothing was wrong, but she wasn't supposed to just smile things away.

Chris had never been anything but courteous when it came to immediate interaction, so in her dreams they danced through the corridors of the island, and she answered his smile with one of her own, as well as she could with chaffed, dried out lips and hollow cheeks.

Waltzing right into the slums, she changed into a dragon. In the rush of feelings nothing but them was real, but she was a monster more with each pulse of her heart.

The heat against her jaws before she bit down and cried out, now a girl again to learn he really would die without the bracelet. Crying over him, while people all around died and Bahamut rose to finish the rest of them.

As an afterthought came, _What if he really was the world's best chance?_ but it was only an afterthought, because first and foremost she missed him.

She couldn't even tell what about him she missed. Her best memories of him boiled down to just dancing.

"Nina, why did you kill him too?"

"I didn't ... "

There stood her mother, staring at Chris's corpse with such horror and sorrow, Nina wanted to die on the spot.

The slums fell away and she was awake in bed, staring at the ceiling and struggling to understand that the ceiling was too high for her cell.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she couldn't move — sleep paralysis. It wasn't the first time. There would be apparitions. Usually it was knights and demons she saw, but this time her mother stood at her side, still looking down sadly.

"Why don't you learn, Nina? You need to stop killing the people you love. You can't keep going. When you run out of friends here, will you end it with me?"

She couldn't answer, nor was there anyone to answer to.

Yesterday she had set two Onyx Knights on fire. It hadn't been difficult to do, but the scorched bodies and the scent lingered and mingled with surfacing memories of other she had scorched in the past. Worse, the blood on her foot set her before her father. Probably the enemy, some corpse already dead, the streets were empty, but still, still ...

"He didn't die for you to do it to the next man in your life."

The death of her father and the blood of millions mingled with lust. She longed to be oblivious again, but that would just get people killed too, like she would kill people now and ...

Wait, would it?

She was awake, so why the surreal droning go on like a nightmare? She didn't actually believe that.

Something felt wrong. She let the dragon power rile herself up a little, feeling anger and everything else. With the expanding force, her demonic magic awakened and her mother was only an overlay on someone else, the way Rita's mist could pull on her. She gathering the pulse up and saw through.

Over her loomed a sickly deer head. "Human blood yet so much more magic, and you stepped _out_. What are you?"

Nina's power flared and at once she could move. Her hand latched onto an antler to pull him closer.

"Listen up. Fate's manipulating people. You're making it harder to defy it," Nina hissed, fangs out. "I already have enough problems without you, and they will be your problems if fate keeps going. You and Olivia need to stop. We have a common enemy, don't you understand?"

He shoved against the bed and she lost grip. Scuttling back, he said, "We might have a common dinner table, but only if Azazel evolves. A common enemy? We don't need to fear Charioce."

Nina sat up.

What kind of a demon was he, having white feathers on his wings?

The haze of illusion strengthened, this time pulling a mirage of Chris into place.

Oh that did it.

"Are you truly—" the demon started in Chris's voice.

"Drop it, I know that's fake!"

Nina kicked a nearby rock at the demon, who dodged. Probably, it was hard to tell with Chris and her mother in the way, and the environment pretending to be her home.

Her mother started, "Why don't you sit down and—"

"No. I've had it with you!" She let the dragon's power rise. "First Angra Mainyu starts poking at me, and now you're taking a shot? Well guess what, you're not going to throw me off! At least Angra Mainyu said something vaguely useful. You're just rehashing my nightmares. You're not even good at it, so why don't you stay away?"

But then he'd go torture someone else.

She spread her wings, hoping to urge on the transformation while holding onto her mind. The demon crawled further back, but couldn't go anywhere. Nina made sure to stay between him and the exit.

"What do you want? You're Furfur, right? The torturer? What's the point? You're bringing every stereotype about hell to the surface and making it all the harder for people to change their opinion on demons!"

"It is for demonkind that we do this," Furfur hissed.

"Well we don't want this kind of help! We never asked for it!"

"Who are you to even speak for _us_?"

He didn't know, eh? Angra Mainyu knew all kinds of things, but this one was just wearing blurs from her nightmares.

All he had was illusion of the senses. While the image of her mother and Chris smiled, Nina went up in fire because the one behind it made a mockery of her and every other demon.

She lost herself in the dragon.

When she came to, the cave was empty save for herself. Some of the walls had cracked, and at the entrance someone had left new clothes. The door was singed by fire.

Nina piled up the torn blankets and huddled up, too exhausted to even care the door didn't close. This time she slept with her normal nightmares.

 **· · · · · · ·**

At a little over three days after Jeanne got herself a unicorn and was back to earth, the forces of heaven still hadn't caught up to her. Jeanne having a unicorn joined to a whirlwind of discource and distrust in the government, and Sofiel now had the thrilling job of being PR manager to both Gabriel and Jeanne.

Hamsa sat on her desk, properly sober at last. He was a strange sight now, having a more serious demeanor made his absurd body stand out. They'd gone over what Hamsa remembered from the old days, and Sofiel tried to match this to existing pieces of history and release this to the public. The intent was to deviate the public away from a political system based on the validity of physical strength — if it come to a fight between Gabriel and Odin, the former was at risk of losing.

A fight would be inconvenient for Odin though, since the support of the population was so important. Heaven was composed of multiple pantheons that could easily break apart. The laws that controlled its very magic might even reset, or at least adapt in inconvenient ways. They could not have a divided heaven right now, everyone knew that.

Or rather, if heaven was divided in the right way, that would help.

According to Hamsa, Arbiter Mortis was the first ruler of heaven. Once the alliance of pantheons had been established and earth united under her reign, she had been called Absolute God Arbiter. She had five ministers : Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, Michael and the one now known as Lucifer. Arbiter Mortis died during the war against Satan and Lucifer, after which we had an election among the five most powerful gods, who might have both the wisdom to lead the the strength to resist hell, Zeus, Odin, Shiva, Isis and Aether. The lot fell to Zeus, while Mortis's inner circle continued on in an advisory role. So Odin had a claim within the recognized system.

When asked about the power balances, Hamsa said, "Over time, the world changed and so did religion. Zeus and his pantheon mingled with earth while the angels advanced spirituality. Faith grew, and so did the powers of the four archangels. Once Zeus became the god key, Hera held government in his absence, but lacked the strength to go to war. The four archangels were of enough united strength to outbid the others as leaders, and had the benefit of thriving on faith so well. Odin, Shiva, Isis and Aether were no longer quite as versatile in their magic, not to mention, Zeus had a troublesome legacy with many monstrous nephilim. There was something to be said for how angels were purer descendants of El Elyon than those with more human forms."

In other words, older gods had something to fall back on, if the angels were discredited, but Gabriel also had something to tell her recent purity model on.

"Lucifer's attempt to destroy the world is well known, but poorly documented," Hamsa said. "We're not sure whether it's in the same vein as Bahamut, just that he despises the world as ruled by gods. What's important is that this helped create the idea that a god tempted by the dark would be an enemy, and enforced an isolationist culture."

Isolationist, eh? It gave a word to something that had always bothered her, that she always ignored.

Sofiel sat back, and wondered about those strange inclinations she sometimes got. How she could tell things about people, and see the nature of relations. What she'd seen between the strangers in heaven recently, between Qhispe and her tribe, and between Gabriel and her country.

Maybe she'd start acting a little more on what she felt about those.

She opened a gate into the prison again and set Hamsa down. Bacchus was grouchy as hell without his liquor. Good.

"I filed a petition for your release. Appease Gabriel, but once you're free, pretend to support Odin. And make a fool out of him. I'm going to earth, Jeanne needs to talk to me, but I will contact you again."

"What the crap? That sounds like exactly the sort of thing you need to be around for."

Sofiel shook her head. "She'd never ask me for this unless it was crucial."

· · · · · · ·

Cerberus had a roll call for her closest workers each morning. No sleeping in for her, or sleeping at all. She looked miserable, but also made it very hard to sympathize when the first thing she told Nina was, "Oh look you well this morning, had good dreams of your boyfriend? Honestly, with his global bloodbath I wonder whether it's your demon nature or your human nature that finds him so delicious."

"Just give me something to do, okay?"

"No, you're sparing your strength to help take down Olivia. Go hang out with Azazel's kid, in case the enemy catches wind of nur. Ne's with Adva in the inner caves with the blue water."

That was a long way. Not physically, just, was she going to run there and maybe knock someone over, or walk slow and risk being recognized? How many people here knew she'd been involved? Would she run into someone who'd gotten hurt, or lost someone, during the chaos yesterday?

She decided to walk, rather than avoid.

Maybe Cerberus had kept the truth contained to her little circle. Nobody said anything. Or perhaps years here had just made them very good at not being heard in their hatred.

Divesepid's reanimated corpses were all recent murders by Olivia's court — he used them to ransack homes and bring in stuff the slums needed. Right now they'd lined up with some food and clothes, all meager gatherings. Because of Chris.

For all the starvation and poverty that remained, a lot of things had changed in the slums. It wasn't just the gardens and the aquaduct, but the community itself. People started decorating the houses with engravings like in hell, a practice once forbidden. Fear for congregation in the tunnels leading to arrests no longer dominated, so there were few people wasting away on the streets even with escaped slaves from above joining in. Some areas started being paved. Dances were organized, art invented from rock and plant, and most notable, there were schools now.

She met Mugaro in the tunnel to the springs.

"Nina, good morning."

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes! You didn't?"

"Nope!"

"I bet you had nightmares about Charioce coming in, right? I had too, a little."

Oh spirits how was she going to break this? It felt almost more difficult than Azazel and all his rage.

"Cerberus says I can't go outside or too close to important appearing people. And Azazel's gone scouting cause he can teleport, so I'm just going to class. Want to come?"

"Yes! Maybe I can learn something too. I'm getting better at dragoning, you know. I can progress."

That was so stilted even Mugaro, young as ne was, raised nur eyebrows, so Nina quickly added, "Actually I'm your guard. Sorry, you're not allowed to wander."

Thankfully that killed the topic of her awkwardness about yesterday, as Mugaro explained her something ne'd learned yesterday.

Mugaro's promise of tutorship in vocal magic had leaked, so when they arrived at the class cave, they found it packed with demons of all ages and a rather overwhelmed Adva.

Nina stayed at the door while all eyes fixed on Mugaro — suspicious, hopeful, grateful, fearful all at once. Perhaps to these demons, gods were as fearsome as hell had been in her home town. Would Jeanne see this too, over and over?

Favaro showed up too, raising a lot of eyebrows. As a ward he could not learn new demon magic. "Bet we can make me better at what I've got though. I'm told my voice is a problem, maybe we can unlock that somehow?"

Adva pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright, you may try, but please understand Mugaro is the priority. Okay?"

Favaro leaned to Nina. "You on guard duty too?"

Nina nodded.

"No mentioning Amira. We don't want the enemy knowing we've got a spy."

Nina nodded again.

"You're quiet today."

Before she could think up an excuse, Adva clapped her hands. "Attention, everyone! I'm really new to teaching, but we have a cranky dark lord who wants me to tutor his kid, and who am I to argue too loudly?"

A few shuffled uncomfortably at her irreverent tone, while Mugaro and nur friends snickered.

"Everyone has specific strengths or weaknesses in magic, which training can exalt and proximity to powerful demons can increase the potency of. We can siphon off of the power of hell through the magical nexus they are. I'm allied to a fairly powerful demon, lady Belphegor, who as a scientist often asked for more precise magic than cleaning, so now ... " Over the last few words, he tone drifted off into sing song. She waved her hand across her breath and formed a floating aquatic sphere.

"I didn't summon this, mind you," she said quickly, quelling some awed gasps. "It's just water from the air, and it's much easier since miss Rita's mist spell still resides over the city. But I can keep it even without outright song, which is something lady Belphegor had me train in."

Even now, there was a whole lot of stuff that went on without Nina's notice, but this she'd heard of in heaven. Aurora's talents were with souls and memory.

"You know, there's elementals who can summon their element, I bet you can learn that too," Nina said.

"Elementals?"

"Your specialization. You're already embracing nature," ne said. "And there are lots and lots of gods who have nature themed powers! Fire and ice and frost and plants and wind, even though that's got little to do with holiness. There's even a god for hangovers, and there's me for healing. It's really exhausting though, and I need different eyes for different stuff. Gabriel said that to focus, I should ..."

Nina barely kept up with the spiritual stuff that followed. Picking a fight with wannabe philosopher's in a park was easy when all they said was nonsense, but just enough made sense about this magical stuff that she understood how much she didn't understand. Mugaro had this whole thing about seeing into the veils of the world, and putting together little pieces to heal people, and imago magic and regenerative magic. She didn't get a clue about how to do any of that, while Adva and a few others could seamlessly talk along about magical resonance.

Nina leaned to Favaro. "Hey, teacher, are you keeping up?"

"Not one bit. This stuff wasn't covered in your own school?"

It took Nina a beat to say, "No, we didn't learn magic at home."

"Oh, I thought you just didn't go to school cause of your dragon problem."

Nina bit her lips and tried pushing away everything _that_ summoned. It worked, for the most part. It wouldn't do to get emotional in class exactly for the reason Favaro had assumed what he did.

The topic of telekinesis came up when Adva questioned Mugaro about other powers. Azazel was outright telekinetic and could use it without effort, but didn't have much range. Mugaro apparently also had telekinesis and could explode things, but not maintain it for more than a few minutes before exhaustion set in. Adva also professed to have limits, and they were ready to just skip this one.

Favaro subtly raised his hand, and Amira ghosted up to the class front. Horns grew and she unfolded two sets of wings, one demonic and the other angelic. She brushed her hands over the heads of Mugaro and Adva.

Right away, Mugaro's red eye blazed and Adva's barrel exploded. Everyone in the room was lifted by Mugaro's force and got soaked, unable to dodge the strings of water.

Cold as the water was, the force didn't feel bad. Kinda tickly, really. It was strange thinking it'd be so bad to the Onyx Knights.

"Really serves to have an archangels as a father, no?" Favaro said quickly.

"An archangel?" Arai asked.

Cue a flood of words from Mugaro to really catch everyone up. Ne had no reservations about what was and wasn't safe to tell, but Nina was too tired to reign nur in.

The conversation somehow ended up about why, if Mugaro was so powerful, ne didn't just teleport right to the king and took him out. Lower class demons weren't really aware of how teleportation or gates worked, and Mugaro knew scarce little, except that ne didn't have the education to do either.

Hey, wait ... the memory was dim, but very much herself as a dragon. Why this specific one? They were in the hills around Anatae, Dante and Eligos were alive and Hamsa, Belphegor and Azazel were there and — oh spirits had she really been that embarassing around Azazel?

 _Nesting._ No wonder he was especially upset about her thing with Chris, it'd look like she was just driven by some stupid dragon instinct of the type he knew she could control.

Oh, and something about teleportation.

"Hey, you know. Azazel can't teleport when he's really close to me. So I heard," Nina said. "Is there anything that explains that?"

"Displacement," someone else in the class said. "You're a shapeshifter, right? You've always got magic at work that teleports in or away the ichor that composes you, which uses the same field that teleporters use to displace their own mass."

"I worked with that when I healed Odin," Mugaro said. "I can't do it myself though, does anyone—"

Almost the entire class grew their smaller wings into larger ones right away.

"Oh, just wings work too?" Nina said.

Demons were really good at quickly banding together, even for a holy one. Was that training or need or nature? Chris had a lot of ideas about that, but very little proof. She didn't either.

Amira settled in the middle of the group, spreading what little of Satan's power that she could. All perked up, almost like they could see her, but it was only renewed energy. A conversation among elders began on blocking magic. Mugaro joined them, trying nur best to keep up.

Somehow this all made Amira both smile and tear up.

"Can you ask her why she's sad?" Favaro asked. Nina did so by moving away from the group on the excuse of testing range.

"They're like family," Amira said. "I didn't think I'd have any when I returned."

Stories about Satan's power had been anything but that in Nina's home, but Amira wasn't him. She might as well be family to all the demon tribe if she returned, and wanted it so badly. Nina's gut twisted, knowing fate might have other plans. Chris was to fight or exile the very being she was trapped in, after all.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"You need to take some demon students in the main class," Jeanne said to Chiron.

He sighed, like he was a wise old sage before a troublesome student.

"We need to take this slowly. And there is a notable different between a fallen angel who only got a few horns while retaining much of her innocence despite the dark taint, and a true demon."

Take things slowly. That sounded like a sad obstacle rather than a reason to not do anything yet.

Mirin was a glorified guard whom everyone pretended had authority. Chiron was more interested in revival of his old life. Urlain and Reinier didn't show up unless at formal scenarios, she hadn't gotten a single private word it. And humans only had so much use for a saint and a unicorn. Jeanne couldn't deny she was bitter that her reputation was no longer the way it was. Finally she had a use for her fame, only to find it wasn't enough for her new goal.

And on top of that, outside the walls stood a protesting crowd, composed of purists and others who were not keen on the gods, or demons, or both.

During Jeanne's absence, these had apparently become more frequent. El Mugaro's disappearance had not helped either. The unicorn could heal, but could not be seen as more than a beast. Those who came late for healing were those either from far away, or with less faith, so now presentation slipped right when they needed the best.

The crowd silenced a little at the stomping of giant feet, some ran. Soon giant shadows fell down.

The two ghouls in the city both arrived and sat down in the small open areas between church and outer walls. Demons crowded on to the giants, hauling up beams and ropes.

"Alright, let's get a move on it!" Arligau called. Ve had a small group around vun, among them the very architects whom had helped design the cathedral expansions. They had a map, one not depicting buildings but something for the back of the ghouls.

What had been going on when she hadn't been here?

"What are you doing?" Jeanne asked.

"Getting some transport for moving out. The mayor offered us some abandoned town in the hills."

"What? You can't leave just because of some protests. It will get better over time."

Arligau already shook vun head. "You know what lynchings are?"

"Of course I do."

"No, you don't. You know what it's like to be chased down and face death, but not what it's like to live with every moment fearing the next you have to run, or how the crowd gathers not just with ropes and knives, but their disgust. When you know your corpse may be a public reminder to your kin to stay quiet and obey, and bear with the jeers and sabotage because at least you're alive."

"We can still unite—"

"Ten years ago, they floated hundreds of meters apart for a shield. They did not have to interact, let alone fight side by side. There's no, what's the word? Precedent?"

"I want to avoid there being a separation for how else will our tribes ever grow closer?" Jeanne said.

"You've been hopping all over the place to say pretty things, and it's gotten some of us freedom. It's not that we're not grateful, but you gotta understand we're not here _just_ for you to save."

Jeanne looked down, ashamed. They were right, of course. There wouldn't be a glorious overhaul of society. Her ascent into knighthood hadn't opened the position to other women, and it might be eons yet before demons and humans would know true peace.

Arligau's stern look softened a little. "You mean well, I know. For what it's worth, if you weren't there it'd be worse. But we have to go pack now. Will you be there on our way out?"

Jeanne nodded.

She went about arranging things for the road. Chiron would stay with his school, Mirin could only be persuaded to come if she got to keep a few fancy gifts she'd gotten from humans — her looks and feathers were a benefit where it wasn't for others.

The clergy didn't even try hiding how relieved they were that the demons would move out, she already heard whispers of what they'd do with the fancy church they'd gotten out of the deal.

Just as Jeanne was on the way to the road management officials, Coco popped up on her shoulder. "Soooo ... have you been paying any attention to the demon social sphere?"

Jeanne steeled herself for more bad news.

"Cause I checked out Mammon, and chaos, is she busy. Her owner's decollared her at some point, they have a pact, and she's also gathering demons around her. I can promise you she's not doing your kiddy glove thing."

Of course.

"For now I'll just focus on resettling this group," Jeanne said. "I will see about that later."

"You might have a better shot if you had more angels on your side, you know. Come on, lady, be a little bit more rebellious."

Jeanne thought that between hiding godforsaken Azazel and breaking her house arrest while giving humans the impression she still worked heaven's will was already quite rebellious enough. Should she take that further? She quelled the inclination to ask Michael for guidance, she herself had to decide now.

And she had no answers again. Hopefully, El Mugaro and the others would fare better. Should she get in touch with them? Maybe the unicorn could bring her close?

But to this the unicorn didn't really respond, unless the impression of the concept of wall meant anything.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Okay. Mugaro, Belphegor and even Nina might have a point. If he'd gone to hide somewhere he wouldn't have been able to sit back for long, not while Charioce ruled. Just, this time there was failure in his own wake. How can this backfire, it whispered. And for good measure, it insisted he couldn't even have a coherent idea. The more he did, even if it only was scouting, the louder it became.

It was easier if it was just Mugaro asking him to do things, but Mugaro had to stay hidden whenever he wasn't around. Far from Cerberus and as inconspicious as possible when by now all of the slums had heard rumors of a 'very amazing doctor'. Who knew what Olivia would think of that.

A flash of pink shot by on an intersection, just to skit to a halt a dozen meters on. Nina rounded the corner. "Hey, Azazel. Class is fine but boring and uh ..."

She gestured him closer. Even when she stood on her tiptoes he had to bend over. He feared she'd grab a horn to pull him closer, but she didn't touch him as she whispered in his ear, "Mugaro's still learning stuff and Amira can make everyone stronger, and we can block teleportation there. Neither Furfur nor Olivia are anywhere near, so I figured I could go fetch more water for Adva and Tipa. Still no idea how they keep finding out where Cerberus is, though."

Nina looked all wrong wearing only drab brown and gray, but it was the circles on her eyes that were worst.

"Did you even sleep?"

"Not much. Some freaky deer thing haunted me for a while," Nina said.

"What?"

"Anyway, Malphas said she's got a new idea and I'm going to help her with some stuff later."

He put a hand on her shoulder, keeping her from just running off. "Nina."

"I'm fine, I broke through the spell."

"That was Olivia's right hand. Details, now."

"He came by this night and wrapped me up in some kind of waking nightmare," Nina said as she stepped out of Azazel's hand. "I couldn't see the walls that well, it was a little like when Rita's mist makes me see zombies as living people. To be honest, it took me a while to get out of the illusion, and it kept going. He wouldn't listen when I tried to tell him fate's doing bad stuff."

"Illusion?"

"Just sad stuff and Chris stuff, but that's not important. Actually, I don't think they know Angra Mainyu's doing anything behind their back. Anyway, did you find anything while scouting?"

"Olivia's founding a court of her own, and she's expecting to use hostages. If I am going to face her, I need back up."

Nina nodded knowingly. "And I bet you want me to fill in for your godawful recruitment skills."

Okay, admittedly he might have been heading towards where he'd heard she'd be.

Water was the one thing available plenty now, so Nina raced two barrels to the classroom and Azazel threw in another two. After that, the plans were finding allies because dammit, it just turned out Nina was vulnrable to Furfur through her human heritage. That made her unfit to be a good guard, so he got some of Rachel's people on that job.

Belphegor, Favaro and the Smaragd Knights would help against Olivia, but none of them would be able to just walk up to the amphitheater.

There were a few strong demons, but not many, what with most being slaughtered in the arena or as cannon fodder for the Orleans Knights. Cerberus's girls were the only group outside of that whom really packed a punch, she'd gone out of her way to keep close the most useful ones. Cerberus was, as usual, not interested in an outright fight, and they stuck with her. Malphas outrighed refused the association, and Divesepid stuck with her.

Pacting with random humans meant they had no time to get experienced with magic, which inevitably led to Nina asking, "Why don't you count Trismegistus? She's got a pact and is experienced with it."

"She doesn't like me."

"That's all? Let's go ask her," Nina said. "Hey, I pacted with you and that turned out alright!"

Trismegistus had a lot to say to Nina that. "Look, I'm sorry, but you're missing the point. He's an asshole. I didn't have the same bad experiences or dark heart as his other wards, but only because he needed me to flourish up his deals. Really needed; he's never been the type to sit down and learn how to access all kinds of magic, or I imagine he could've stood at a parade, possessed the your boyfriend's clothing and strangled him that way. I got respect out of _need only_. Why would that have changed? See what happens when need runs out. I'm not making any deals with him if I can help it."

"So you're not helping even if this isn't for him?" Nina asked in a tiny voice, not at all like herself.

"That depends on whether you're putting my new pact master in danger, but alchemy will have little use against a fallen god, their immunities and regeneration. I can't stop Belphegor, but I can stay away from him."

Cerberus and Belphegor had a much easier time getting humans to work for them, which their next stop drove home even further.

Walfrid was now pactless, left an ordinary human. Favaro kept touch with him to get drunk together whenever he got a bottle of wine from the Red Troupe, otherwise he lived with a commune of humans in the slums. According to Favaro he'd wanted to join the Red Troupe, but Athos had joined the Orleans Knights and might recognize his voice. They didn't want any risk.

"Why'd you bring me back anyway?" Walfrid slurred.

"You were within reach range, you knew mechanical things."

"Pfffft," Walfrid said. "I'm a captain, that doesn't mean I can do the same stuff as Paracelsus. Give me a skyship or give me nothing."

"I can give you a new pact," Azazel said.

Walfrid burst into uncontrollable giggling before emptying his glass. "Fat chance. I bet you'll send me off to another fight."

"I though you wanted to be immortal?" Nina said. "We don't need a front fighter, just a little backdrop to protect some hostages."

"Listen here, girl. I figured it out. He kills the kind people, he empowers the jerks," Walfrid muttered. "So I made sure I was just bad enough that he wouldn't kill off me, but that just got me a bounty on my head. So no, not that guy. Gotta see first whether the sciency or the architect ones want wards. Maybe the architect of the necromancer. I got options now."

He wouldn't say any more, to Nina's obvious disappointment that got voiced with, "That's all you're going to do?" as soon as they were alone in a tunnel.

"No, I'm going back to scouting," he said.

"What else is there to find out? We need a better rebellion."

"Then figure out how to make Cerberus more active."

She grit her teeth together, which meant ... something.

He tried figuring out a non awkward way to ask that, but someone had to butt in. "Something the matter?"

Behind them stood Favaro, all obxious swishing his new tail.

"Who's watching Mugaro?" Azazel asked.

"Amira is. Mugaro's in touch with her, and we figured out how to prevent teleportation in the area, so don't sweat it."

"What's the matter is that we're _trying_ to bolster our back up, but Azazel's not really _trying_ ," Nina huffed.

"You heard them, why bother? I'll try when it's worth the effort," he grumbled.

Favaro jumped between them, one arm over Nina's shoulder and — he had the absolute nerve to put an arm around Azazel's shoulder too. It left him hanging all lopsided, so throwing him off without throwing Nina to the ground needed finesse.

"Come on, we'll figure something out. How about—" Azazel lifted him up by snake and tossed him back.

Dissapointingly, Favaro just landed on his feet without looking like he took the hint. "How you guys tell me why you got that idea all of a sudden, rather than this morning. Something new happen?"

Oh fuck it. He'd forgotten to tell the others about his scouting and Nina's problem.

Nina caught Favaro up, which inspired Favaro to take a level in absurd, "Furfur leaves the barrier sometimes, so maybe the Onyx Knights can deal with him. We'll just tip off Kaisar. He's in on stuff. Hell, he could pass on a message to your boyfriend."

"The guy whom I knocked off his horse, right? Does he even know who I am?"

"I bet he knows more than you like. Kaisar didn't even blink when I mentioned dragon years," Favaro said. "I didn't tell him anything about you other than that I have a student named Nina, so I bet the castle is already swirling with rumors about the king and you."

"Wait, you know about my dragons years? Did mati tell literary everyone but me?"

"Nah, that was the purple haired guy." Favaro snapped his fingers. "I think he was family?"

"Ladislao," Nina said. "My father's brother.

"I thought you were the sole money earner for your family?"

"He sometimes pitches in, but he's looking to start his own family so it can't be much," Nina said, but her voice drifted off before she switched back to perk attentiveness. "Anyway, the one problem is whether we can get a hold of Kaisar before the meeting with Olivia."

Favaro snapped his fingers and soon, Mimi appeared. When asked whether she could drop a message to Kaisar, she vanished.

Upon reappearing, she said, "Nope, he's in the castle and I can't go there. They've got this huge anti demon thing powered by Dromos going on, and they're preparing for some kind of feast. Olivia was right about the special guests."

"Dammit, that means no leave for the knights," Favaro said.

Depending on Charioce.

He might as well hand himself over to Olivia.

Was there any way he could take out Furfur himself, when he couldn't predict where he'd be? They didn't have enough manpower to take on a teleporting illusionary demon in a way that wouldn't tip off Olivia somehow. It had to be during the confrontation or she'd know and adjust.

... they didn't have to let him in, if he caugfht Furfur just outside. The confrontration with Olivia was inevitable. He was short on allies. He still needed Nina's help even if it didn't involve Dromos, but she was useless if Furfur could rob her sight with illusions or worse, outright reduce her to the tormented mess the humans above were in.

And there was another way to get into the castle.

"Find me an isolated room. I'm already inside," he said.

"You mean—"

"Of course."

Favaro knew a place with an old door from Arachna that still worked, Azazel left the explaining to Nina.

Once there Nina lit an old torch, while Azazel found a corner that seemed solid enough not to send the roof down. Favaro stayed only on the premise that if an enemy appeared while he was out, it'd be extra defense.

Azazel sat down slowly. It was like surrendering to weakness now he knew what would happen : his body here would go slack and he would be in chains under Charioce's power.

Nina pushed a rock closer so she could sit before him, but he refused eye contact.

"Are you ready?" Nina asked.

"Just get on with it."

He held out his arm, expecting nothing to happen for a while, like before, but Nina had barely messed with his flow or he lost himself.

Double awareness set in. One set of eyes stared into the bright light of the sun, fighting another useless drill with the knights. The other lay still in a cage of black metal as a tube went into his leg painfully, draining blood.

"Azazel?"

With difficulty, he focused on Nina. She was still visible, but the sensation of the connection overtook the sight.

"Azazel, stay here." Nina's voice was clear at least.

The fight demanded attention even as the body had an inherent instinct driving it — he could do better while thinking and he had to — but it wasn't as overpowering as before. Still quiet in the caves, even as snakes started pouring out of him.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Favaro said, trying to shove some of them away as they crawled over him.

"The snakes were there before," Nina said. "He's actually doing a lot better this time. Azazel, is there anyone you can talk to over there?"

"I can't ... speak ... in that ... form ... " The words came only in phases as he kept falling back into the castle.

"Can you write somehow?"

He nodded, and didn't tell them he'd be using blood from one of the goats — the caged on in the laboratory couldn't manifest enough snakes to reach the brittle walls.

Between the next hazes, Favaro produced his papers and pencil. He and Nina muttered and scribbled something before Favaro held up a paper. "This one's a request to bring Charioce to you. Don't worry, it's worded to sound like you."

Nina bent over. "I dunno, he doesn't evil cackling that much."

"You sure?"

Nina gave Favaro a look. "I've known him him for like three months, more if we count me chasing him. No evil cackling."

Favaro struck through something and held the paper up again.

The caged one could manifest barely a single serpent, which faded before he got more than one letter down. Using blood for drawing didn't phase him, but it degraded that he had to do this.

The one engaged in combat didn't have a chance to stand still and write in the sand, he tried anyway. His opponent didn't notice, but some in the crowd started to comment how the fighting suddenly got smarter.

Azazel stopped trying to write and focused entirely on taking off the arm of his tormentor. Feigning an attack to the left, he went by the right — the fool had no proper reflexed and was within range of the chains.

Unlike ordinary goats, this one had the teeth of a serpent, and the flexible neck to match. He drove his fangs into the sword arm, twisted and tore the arm guard off along with skin. The fighter howled and Azazel was pulled back by the chain.

It gave him a moment of reprieve, during which he put all focus on writing.

"Back off!" Kaisar called. Of course Kaisar again, teaching his precious knights how to better kill demons.

The recruits did as ordered, and Kaisar walked up. Kneeling down he inspected as Azazel wrote.

"Azazel, is that you? You need to stop this, it's a bad time," Kaisar whispered.

"How do I tell ... Lidfard's son ... to get lost?"

Favaro grinned. "Man, are you kidding me? Do you have fingers over there?"

"No."

"Spit?"

He considered that, but Kaisar already backed away. Some other guy approached — familiar somehow. Before Azazel could get a good look, he'd already ran away.

The battle didn't resume, so Azazel finished the letters in the sand.

Nothing happened in the daylight, but someone entered the laboratory and started lowering the seal below his body there. The shackles were loosened, allowing him to shift so he could lay with his head raised.

The man stood there waiting. Azazel didn't expect them to offer paper any time, so he forced out a snake and nicked at his leg, drawing more blood to write with.

"I see," the man said. "He will be told."

A long time passed before Charioce appeared before him; he entered the dark laboratory.

All Azazel's hatred boiled up, so close to yesterday's relentless drive to kill him at all costs — but he was in chains now, unable to even crawl back one inch as Charioce approached.

"I had no idea that I still had some you." There was the infernal self satisfied smile again, and just like before Azazel couldn't even move away.

"It surprises me that you returned to Anatae," Charioce said. "After all, what is there for you but more of the same? Or perhaps you figured you could not get away. I wonder, were you aware of this here all along?"

He didn't relay any of that to Nina and Favaro.

"So, what is this message?" Charioce asked.

The sight of Nina and Charioce blurred together, he had to look away from her. "Next one."

Only when Nina held up the paper did he look back, blending her with Charioce's impassive stare.

Azazel wrote the next lines.

"I see. Tell Nina to arrange that that birds may pass the barrier. There is a posthouse near the slums. Keep the windows open and restore the den."

Azazel repeated that to Nina, and just gave Charioce a nod.

"If that was all, I have one thing to discuss too. Only with you," Charioce said.

He didn't nod, but did stay just out of morbid curiosity, even as any second of this disgrace wore him down.

"Did she tell you what my final goal is?"

He nodded.

"Can you afford to fight against me, when I will fight for the whole world?"

Azazel had a lot to rage about that, but lacking words, he just spit at Charioce. It was a miss, Charioce just stepped back.

"Hmm." Still that insufferable smile. Charioce approached from the side, and ran a finger down his forehead. "You're truly—"

Azazel severed the connection with all force he had, until there was only the weak glow of the torch and two worried faces.

Breathing came heavy. He pushed his claws into the rock, crumbled them. Here. Not imprisoned in the castle, not _as_ powerless as then.

"Are you alright?" Nina asked.

"I am now."

He got to his feet, and ... Nina backed away immediately.

That just did it. He went through that and she just left?

She didn't even look at him anymore, she was with the dog. "Mimi, could you please go there?"

With her back towards him, it finally hit him what was wrong. She hadn't touched him since he fell out at her on the riverside.

Nina was never sparing with touch otherwise. Was ... was she done with him because of that? Seriously? What was her problem? Just because he'd yelled? It wasn't like that was all about her. He'd done worse.

He'd gone centuries without being touched by anyone outside of combat, he didn't need it. But Charioce had done beyond worse to her and she still wanted to be near him. This was an insult.

 **· · · · · · ·**

In the light of the cave's hearth, the latter was golden, the letters ornate, light in her hands yet heavy to open.

What did she want out of it? Something loving, she hoped and feared. Confirmation would make it harder to fight.

To make it worse, Mimi had handed the letter right when she was with Azazel and Favaro.

 _To the red dragon,_

 _It appears we have a mutual enemy, so your request falls in good earth. I will be there._

 _Any information you can send me on this enemy will be put to good use._

 _I regret that there cannot be more to the crossing of our roads._

 _Greetings,_

 _Chris._

That was all? She scourged the words for any indication of the guilt he professed to have, but there was nothing.

"He has agreed," was all Nina said.

Azazel's eyes bore into her.

"Do ... do you want to see it?" She held out the paper, but he didn't take it.

Favaro snatched it away.

"Hmmmm ... well, there's the big secret of a grand total of one line of mush." Favaro waved it before Azazel's face. "Want to have a crash course in the human alphabet?"

Azazel shoved him away, glaring daggers.

Nina burned with shame as she grabbed the paper back, only to be unsure what to do with it. Keeping it was her first thought, but then what? Pour over it when nobody watched? Hope to figure out something deep and meaningful from it? Something that proved ... something? That he loved or that he wasn't that bad?

Azazel and Favaro watched her.

She had to get rid of it, but she couldn't get it over her heart to tear it apart casually when it'd been composed with such care. What he felt for her was a lot of complicated, painful things, but it wasn't crude.

So she laid it in the fire.

Not wanting to face anyone else, she watched it burn until Favaro declared, "Right, how about we brainstorm? I'm going to need to hear absolutely everything about everyone's powers. The kid included."

"We're _not_ including Mugaro," Azazel said.

"But the healing—"

"Mugaro doesn't get onto this scene until Olivia and Furfur are dead. Understood?"

While the last bits of paper burned, Nina tried hard for her affection for Chris to burn along. Mugaro, a child sentenced to death for an inconvenient power. Azazel and Favaro would be dead too.

It didn't stick well enough to bring out hatred, especially now the words she tried to burn were a promise of help.

"So first things first, what advantage can we give Charioce to get a hold on Furfur?" Favaro said.

"He said something. I think ... he might have someone from my tribe on my side," Nina said. "We'll tell him transformative magic can block teleportation."

Azazel gave her a look she couldn't read, and wasn't in the mood to. It'd just make things more uncomfortable between them. Chris claiming he'd met another of her kind was one thing, but he'd also known she'd been with Jeanne. Azazel already had trouble trusting her, she didn't want to make that worse right now.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"You must behave this afternoon, alright? This is more important than usual." Kaisar told Rocky before pulling a glove over him. The index and middle fingers 'nodded'.

The Joyous Advent of the king of Manaria was today, for which Kaisar had a lot of fretting to do. He had to look good not for his desired duties — leading the Orleans Knights — but as a token.

As nobility and sole survivor of the Lidfard family, recently awarded for saving the king and now a member of the inner circle, Kaisar was a pretty face to add to a party. He was also one of the few Onyx Knights who was still presentable without covering up.

Other kingdoms expects knights to be the most honored warriors, so Charioce's decision to surrounded himself with black armored men of no name who never showed up at formal events hadn't gone without notice. Kaisar's job was to portray the Onyx Knights as an order more like monks dedicated to the king's protection, who were typically involved in intense magical training to resist demonic influences. His own presence despite years of rigorous training was to be explained as an extreme honor. Charioce wouldn't have cared much for misconceptions over his protection before, but now he had had open war with the gods pressing on his reputation.

The private docks of the castle had been filled with a mixture of Manaria's purple and Teutoiskas's green. Kaisar and Rocky arrived at the lane between those docks and the castle, also decorated with similar colors. Rocky carried the Lidfard banner. It was to be planted along a line of holes along the lane.

His own depicted a unicorn, crest and long striped banner, honor to the old chivalric heritage of the Lidfard family.

Allesand planted the Visponti banner next to Kaisar's banner; his a writhing serpent devouring a child.

"So captain Lidfard, how is working for the Onyx Knights?"

"Very solemn," he said. "Straighten your back."

"Hmmph." The young man hadn't stood off much, and ended up puffing his chest out without another attempt to converse.

The advent came by river : colorful boats surrounding a large central barge, upon which a lavish arched imitation castle had been crafted out of red wood.

The royals passed to meet Charioce on the other end, the representatives of the nobles followed.

Custom dictated the royals would retreated into the castle to rest, but that had been old times when such a journey tooks weeks. Nowadays Charioce sold pieces of levitating rock harvested from hell; implenent those within a boat and the trek went much faster even if one didn't have enough magic for air navigation. The royals would have a much more elaborate welcoming party, one which served an extra purpose : assurance.

The hostage situation left many doubtful of security, even with the demonstration of the anti demon fields that were now (mostly) active on the premises of the castle.

They gathered within a rich garden within the outer walls of the castle right under the arches. Here lay a wide open field usually used for recreational sports of the nobility where Merlin would give a demonstration of her magic.

She was late, but Charioce had no difficulty keeping the royals of Manaria at word. They were separate from the others, on a pavilion that needed no barrier.

When one saw him like this, the tales of him being the best Charioce felt so true. He wasn't his oily father by far, and his legacy was one of prosperty. He was almost distracting.

Kaisar went over frivolities with nobility whom he never had had the chance to know well. He could not keep up with the banter well, Kaisar's touch with ongoing aristrocratic matters were outdated, limited to the stories of his family, but his tales of heroism were a good substitute. More than a few nobles received promises of expansive tales at the incoming ball. Other expressed the desire to visit the old Lidfard mansions, and he had to explain in vague terms that those, including the main one near Dorma, had been destroyed by Bahamut — in reality many had been torn down or sold off as storehouses.

Essenbeck approached him with a warm smile and was very loud about this being the man who had heroically saved him during the siege. Kaisar spent the ten minutes relaying insider information to Essenbeck, mostly about court relations. He had no idea why any of this was even relevant to Essenbeck.

It was only near the end of that when Merlin finally showed herself. Decked out in flowing summer green and smiles, Merlin was hardly recognizeable. Only that she had a staff on her back and cane in hand tipped one off she was no ordinary aristrocrat.

Charioce pointed her out, and all attention shifted to the woman calmly crossing the path, a sight to rival Charioce. Hushed murmurs of her name went around; a living legend of centuries known across the continent.

She bowed before the king, kissed his hand and turned to the crowd.

"Greeting, nobles of Manaria and Teutoiskas. You have surely heard my name before, but may wonder about my presence. Once more I have returned to this world to guide a worthy king. Now I stand before you to vouch for the power of his kingdom.

I swear to you, you are safe from the demon that plagues the lower ring. The only reason that one was able to take hostage our dear citizens was because the gods had that Jegudiel shut down our defenses. Fortunately, we were able to secure the upper ring before it got out of hand. The moment the fields were activated again that foul demon has not gained so much as an inch of the city."

She planted her staff in the ground. From below it, a circle of green power spun out and connected with preexisting magic; the very field below the castle that would activate if any unauthorized demonic power was used on its premises.

Rocky twitched below the glove, but didn't lash out. Merlin went on to demonstrate her own magic in concord with the barrier. A few captured demons were hauled in to be pulverised before the crowd.

After that, the crowd mingled again, with the royals close to Merlin herself.

"We have been told you are the the founder of the Orleans Knights, is this so?" princess Anne asked.

"I have laid out its creed, but it was the late king Arthur who led the round table. The Orleans Knights are an offshoots of this old order." This history concerned Kaisar, so he stayed close to listen and saved himself a few strained conversations, but he learned little of it. Merlin's words were old legends scraped clean of any personality.

"Fate has indeed called me back in the nick of time," Merlin said as closure. "I was in a long slumber, as the world did not need my specific service, but there are those who fight fate. You see, fate did not at all intend Bahamut to awaken. A human traitor did so, Gilles de Rais, but in the end, fate rectified him."

This causes more than a few frowns, since most people outside the kingdom had been told Martinet was responsible. Gilles de Rais was only known around here because Favaro had always called him that.

"What about Jeanne d'Arc?" Anne asked. "Such a legend now speaks ill word of this country she once served and protected."

"Ah, her. Once a worthy warrior, no doubt. I suppose she never was purged well enough. I am told a dying god did so? No wonder he failed, he must have been at the end of his strength. See, purification is a tricky business. I myself descend from demonic heritage, but I was purified at birth. It is not my heritage. Do not fear, I am untainted, and there are others who have pulled themselves free of demonic heritage."

She gestured at Lao, who smiled like he was the centerpiece.

At Merlin's invitation, he took her place on the field. Within a burst of light, he turned into the elegant dragon of purple and gold colors.

The foreigners back away in fear, save for the princess, but nobody fled.

Charioce approached Lao, who bowed his head to him to have Charioce laid his hand on his snout briefly.

Straightening his neck, Lao's voice thundered across the gardens, "We do not need the gods to defy the evil of hell. All we need is our own willpower to dedicate ourselves to the improvement of our world and our place in it."

Charioce climbed onto Lao's back and said, "Would anyone like a demonstration of how well his ancestors achieved their goals?"

Some expressed curiosity, but they were only used to demons wearing collars and mindless wyverns reigned in. The princess was the only one to take up the offer, just barely slipping from the warning on her father's tongue. There were rumors she had experience with noble dragons, perhaps that was it.

As Lao made a show of being a nice dragon, Kaisar wandered to Merlin's newly formed conversation group. They discussed some kind of philosophical aspect of demonhood that passed over his expertise. During a lull in the conversation approached her with a bow.

"Ah, Kaisar Lidfard. Please rise."

"Would you walked with me, my lady? I have not yet had the chance to speak with you regarding the fate of this kingdom's chivalric order. It would be an honor to hear your advise on this, should you have the time to spare."

"Of course, I would be glad to." The glint in her eyes told him she might have wanted the chance already.

They wandered into a low lane of trees, paved with marble. At a safe distance from the crowd, Kaisar said, "May I be frank?"

She smiled. "You are frank enough to conspire with hellspawn behind the back of your king, surely you do not need my permission?"

"I conspire with no one! My lady, no offense, but such accusations have no foundation!"

Favaro and Belphegor pushed that thing with the Red Troupe on him, that wasn't his decision!

"Would you like to plead your case, or was there something else you wished to say?" Merlin said.

"Ah, right. ... What do you think of his majesty's kingdom? And ... the way the demons are treated?"

"I believe there should be chances offered for demons to ascend the way I and Lao's tribe have done," she said. "This is a failing in the kingdom I have hope to see corrected, however. For better or worse, perhaps due to that girl. You have heard the rumors, no doubt?"

"I have, but it is difficult to ascertain their nature. Some of them are rather wild." Like the one insisting on a late night orgy.

"Well, those that are true are among the tamest. I believe she may be of use to fate itself, and for the kingdom as it is. Some tweaks must be done for the greater purpose," Merlin said. "In this, the king and I agree. I believe the king will learn to control his impulses, and see a more tactical way to handle demonkind."

Kaisar felt a weight fall off his heart, he was not the only one seeing this. He was close to gushing about the ways the king had helped the kingdom, but also a little too close to a few demons to go through with it, and Merlin's severe expression killed it altogether.

"What is _your_ place in all this?" she asked. "I am told that you hold Azazel accountable for your father's death, yet on record you father was executed here in the capital, on orders of Charioce XIII."

"It is more that he caused the ruin of my family," he said. "He owned those rare magical rocks that Charioce XIII had received as a tribute. And though I wasn't aware for a long time, he personally murdered the father of my best friend."

"Ah, that sounds typical of that filthy demon. I am surprised that your friend allies with him when that history exists."

She knew about even that?

Kaisar's pace faltered, but Merlin pulled him along. Kaisar debated with himself on asking anything, but after an uneasy silence Merlin herself continued, "I met your friend in the slums. He not only has made a pact with demons, he is accompanied by a demonic spirit that flows and violates the fabric of fate itself. It would not be the first time Azazel has tempted a righteous soul to fall in an effort to defy fate, so it concerns me that you seem to, sometimes, protect this demon and your straying friend. Why is that?"

"For many years, I was consumed by vengeance. I hunted down my best friend with every intent to kill him for the disgrace of the Lidfard name, and the death of my parents. Only in the latest hours before learning the truth did I begin to falter, and once I knew it was Azazel's game and what Favaro had done for me by giving me a target, I understood my folly. I would not be consumed by revenge again and swore to myself I would live in honor hence forth."

"I'll swear you now, you can choose finer demons to prove you have moved on from all consuming anger, dear knight," Merlin said. "Take any demon, and set your friend an ultimatum."

"Random demons are not the ones to have wronged me."

"Caring for the cursed ones is a waste of time, and theirs, honestly. First they trail you to find Azazel, now they have you here as a hostage for the zombie girl, while suspecting that lord Essenbeck is up to something. You're like driftwood to fate, less a champion. You might yet be."

Again he was at loss of words. This did not go as he expected it.

"As you failed to live with honor, I had failed to be a just servant of fate. Eons should have taught me sometimes smaller evil must precede a greater good. I knew that, until I encountered a sacrifice I foolishly judged as too great. It was arrogant of me, and that arrogance was exploited. I became an enemy of the world, and the world recoiled. When Seel Soh Ketom was cast upon me, my soul did not have the fortune to pass on. I fell to the void, abandoned by the world with only my thoughts and the fleeting attention of Angra Mainyu. Out there, we are strung above the abyssal waters. We have nothing. You cannot imagine what it is like to exist without any stimulation. Without hope. Without chance for atonement, or so I thought.

I was told Azazel just grabbed what was in his range, when he stole the tablets from heaven. Perhaps fate set me in the right place. Whatever it may be, I learned my lesson. I shall serve this king better than any before, to guard him from his own foolishness and support him in his strength. This will be my redemption to fate."

Azazel? Void? There was so much here he couldn't place.

"Why did you tell me this now?" he asked. "You've surely had other chances?"

"There is something very specific I believe you and I must do, which may set us at odds with the king, but will be to his benefit. It regards one of his weaknesses."

"Weaknesses? I'm aware of the dragon girl, but what else is there?"

"He has an unrelated project of which the cost may be too high. Such a young man, it is no wonder he finds allure in its twisted beauty like the dragon, or potential like your little friend, Rita. I am afraid if I outright confront him with what she does he will simply invent a remedy, and consider how he remedies his other problem with illogical overkill, I don't feel like telling him of the specific problem with the zombie master. As it stands, I feel we must remove her from the castle, _alive_. You might be vital to this. If you must, ask for help from your unsavory connections."

They knew. Or she alone knew.

"No need to tense up, dear knight. Your connections may exactly be why you can be convenient to fate. You could steer those astray, and redeem yourself." She held up her cane, which wasn't actually a cane, but Rita's umbrella stripped off the spikes and cloth. "If not, I may yet figure out how to control this before his majesty's destiny comes to pass. Then I will prove him what she is, and she will be destroyed. I would ask Lao, but he is too enamored with _literary_ following the king." Merlin sighed. "I am here to serve as cushion for such beauty flaws."

"What if we are beauty flaws in itself?" he asked.

"If fate does not will it and I am wrong, I will know. Just like I know you will answer me with yes." With that they had reached the end of the path, like she had timed the entire conversation.

"Have a good day," she said as she returned to the feast.

Kaisar was left alone with his thoughts, and Rocky refused to untense. She was right, he didn't have to outright say yes.

· · · · · · ·

One ghoul to carry their scarce belongings, the other to lift the most sickly and elderly in a craft constructed from wood, scraps and magical plants. They'd have to make a few treks to get everyone out. Mirin would accompany them, while Jeanne remained in the capital with her breaking hope and loss for direction.

The designated area was an abandoned town in the forest a few miles from the capital, of which the associated mine had run dry. This was the inevitable product of employing larger demon slaves. A disgusting heritage, testified by the barracks that came in sizes to house varying demon races.

Jeanne helped them settle as well as she could. Old knowledge of how to live near forests came in useful, which none of these demons were familiar with. She spent a few hours teaching them about herbs and healing plants and which wood was best for fires and building. Agriculture had to wait, nobody had seeds yet, and she couldn't guess what they might obtain. Still, she found a plot and suggested it cleared for later.

In the afternoon Jeanne had an appointment with a cardinal in another country, followed by one with the pope where she expected Urlain to show up — perhaps a time to talk then? — and in a few days there was a ball for which she had no clothes yet. All this while running from heaven would tired her, but nothing compared to slavery, so she didn't let herself slack off.

If there was one small benefit, the unicorn always smelled nice so she didn't have to invest in perfume after working on the ground.

By evening, the town brimmed with life. Mirin told her there would be some kind of official thing which most tribes agreed on celebrating. Food was scarce yet, but hunters were about, and her tips for edible plants taken.

From the side of the square, Jeanne watched as Arligau passed candles out, which were spread around. Fires were lit and wood gathered for a pyre to dance and mourn, but also celebrate and remember. It would be the first time in years they could have a feast by their own rules.

Memory and connection that Jeanne had no business partaking in. She retreated into her room and for a long time, sat with her head in her hands.

Countless families remained separated. Valeria had not outlawed slavery. Ultimately the liberation was but a trend and an economic move for the rich, and a few scattered sympathizing humans. And now godforsaken Bahamut.

It felt hopeless.

Just after sunset, the door opened along with a familiar sensation. Jeanne knew it was Sofiel before even looking up. Sofiel held out her hand, which Jeanne took as she sat down.

"How are you doing?" Sofiel asked.

"I'm well, but my hope for peace is not," she said. "But there are more pressing concerns. I believe we found out what the Dromos is for."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina kept her wings out when she went to bed. Nobody visited this night, but she didn't sleep well either.

All of the day had been awkward, now her relation to Charioce wasn't like a surreal dream anymore. Belphegor did her very best to be cordial about it, but Nina noticed the way she spoke slower. Cerberus kept rubbing it in. Nobody chatted with her except Mugaro.

Now they had to trust her? Most of the team would involve the Smaragd Guard, whom all knew. Rachel wasn't very eager to see her anymore either.

In the morning, Nina got some ordinary clothes, quietly listened to instructions and went with Cerberus. Nina was to be planted among the hostages, for which Cerberus teleported her into the amphitheater's prison. Not directly into the cells, but the management station. Cerberus knocked out the occupant and plants weed as an excuse, before turning to the books.

Olivia kept fine records of whom everyone was : name, profession, records of their life in the city. According to Cerberus Furfur used this room a lot, as did others of Olivia's local court. Their very own school : how to get humans to despair.

Cerberus flipped through the records. "I'll give'em this, they're very creative. None of these are getting lethal torture, they want them alive for harvest. I might borrow a few of these tricks."

"Once this is over, you need to stop too," Nina said.

"Listen up, girl. We're only in this together because we have a common enemy. You don't get to make any demands, and I have no interest in becoming weak."

With that, she flipped over the book. The pages began to glow and almost flip on their own as Cerberus read through it.

"Huh, I had no idea I could read that fast." Cerberus frowned. "Anyway, you have friends here. We're putting you with them in case any guards wonder where you came from."

Cerberus flicked a finger across the page and the name Nina Drango appeared, matching to the existing records of her working for the construction site.

Nina had no time to wonder about the magic before Cerberus teleported them into a dank passageway, an pushed Nina into a very crowded cell. And small. Nina clutched her hands over her chest.

No need to fake being anxious about being here.

Looking around, Cerberus turned out to be right. Emeline, Burkhart and Marcio huddled together on one side. They didn't recognize her in the dark, until she sat down next to Emeline and said, "Hey, how are you doing?"

Bewildered, the woman looked up. Even in the dark, it was clear she'd gotten thinner. Scabs covered her face. Marcio and Burkhart weren't any better off.

"Nina?" Emeline whispered.

"Yep, it's me."

"You and Favaro got away?" Marcio asked.

"Of course. It's a long story, but we're here to stop that fallen angel," Nina said. "Actually, I could use some help."

"Help?"

"I need you to pretend I was here all along," she said. "You'll see the rest later. I think. Do you know why you were brought here?"

"No. What do you mean, we? You and Favaro? You can't fight her alone!"

"Yes we can. Now listen to me. When we break you out, there will be demons working together with the humans who are coming. You'll have to trust them, okay?

"More of your rebellion friends?" Burkhart spat.

"Okay, crash course current status : it's a very small number of demons who rule all of hell," Nina said. "The gates that leave hell are controlled by them. There's no _the demons_ terrorizing earth. They aren't a monolith. When we get out, my friends _will not act like in the stories_. I promise."

"Yeah sure." Someone nearby muttered. "I bet it's just another trick, that's happened a lot, you know. Maybe you're the trick."

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to talk out loud about rebellion, in case any enemies overheard. She was sure she could get them to listen later, so she sat back and didn't pretend at being a terrified prisoner. Just, for her it was the stone rather than those outside.

 **· · · · · · ·**

It would be soon, and all was set. Charioce sat back, always good at the waiting game, now spent with his mother and her nosy 'doctor'.

Ever lacking in respect, Rita leaned over the armrest. "Ah, so the rumors are true. You really do have a thing with Nina."

"So I do," he said. "I doubt it will go anywhere. Just the other day, she deceived me and tried to bite my arm off, it's not the sort of thing that makes a good wedding story."

"Now now, if you're still together after you sent her to your fun exploding island, surely you can look past such minor quabbles?"

For someone supposedly isolated Rita sure had a lot of information.

Rita returned to poking at his mother, who shambled around the room pretending to be interested in the books. He didn't believe she could be, but Rita had managed something to make her recall new information.

He went back over Nina's words.

The chain of letters went over details he had to ask for — what kind of powers that demon exactly had, what the range of blocking was, the nature of transformation magic. Merlin, Rita and Ferdinand were all potential experts, but Rita was the least conspicious to ask for advice. For all the well trained staff knew, she was on another routine visit to the patient who formally did not exist.

Rita was difficult to read, but he was fairly certain she cared for Nina. So the things she suggested would likely be useful, and Nina answered to her best efforts.

Anti teleportation spell circles using the power of Dromos in a stagnant way. Once there was a lock on a creature or an area it could hold it, but it needed to be caught first. The demon made that very difficult simply with its mind warping madness. There was no aiming to be done when one didn't even remember the spell.

That this could be solved with something as simple as just sending in a demonic shapeshifter was a tad embarassing. Fortunately he had one who was very loyal and strong enough to handle it. On reserve, he had a number of the demon division for back up, but it would be Lao on the forefront; according to Nina, she was not entirely immune to the illusions, but could resist them better than humans. As long as Lao was covered otherwise, he should be better than Nina, being older.

On short notice there was very little excuse he could give for suddenly finding out how to block teleportation of creatures not already caught in a circle, so it was deemed just an experiment. That meant it would be conspicious if Charioce joined this time. He still had some reputation he wanted to preserve, after all.

But he wanted some kind of feedback, so he went to his balcony, telescope in hand. He was just barely able to see the wide street where the plan would fall into action.

Lao in human form wandered to the wall, alone. A few plants were at the end of the street, pretending to be fellow youth cheering on someone acting on a stupid dare.

It did not take long for the mist to converge, and the haunting to begin.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Favaro crawled through the crevice into the arena, senses alert for anything, but it was really empty. For something that was supposed to be a trap, there were awfully few guards inside. Ridiculous to the point of suspcision, really. They had to somehow free a whole lot of hostages before they could be used, all the while Azazel had to deal with Olivia before anyone got set on fire. Nina would begin breaking locks as soon as the fight started, now there was something hidden to suspect?

And he wasn't even getting paid.

Belphegor joined him after getting the Smaragd Guard in position, using hidden spaces quickly constructed in emptied houses; Olivia had patrols around the amphitheater. Despite this, she too got in without any trouble.

They slipped through empty halls, ran into the first guards and were ready to fight, just for the two demons to grin wide. "Ah, you're here already?"

"Yes," Favaro said, luckily before Belphegor's confusion had her blurt out a question. "Why do you even need to ask?"

"Lady Olivia thought Azazel would be suspicious and not bring his allies in, since she made such a bad impression in dealing with Cerberus."

"You gotta admit though, your boss is an abomination," the other demon added. His eyes rested on Favaro's glowing bounty bracelet, weary but not really afraid. Odd.

"Yeah, I gotta admit it kinda freaks me out how she survived being poked full of holes," Favaro said.

"Not that. She's going the wrong way."

"Huh?"

Belphegor scraped her throat. "He is a human. Perhaps a ward, but we do not inform him of any finer details of magic."

Favaro made a point of nodding like a fool. "You totally lost me at ablobimashun. What're we talking about? Pudding? "

"Talents! The dog, she's getting awfully close to god territory. She does _community_ , and not even the kind that's exclusionary. You know, that which gets us some nice hatred to thrive on. All those humans she allows to be in the slums? Bad news for us."

The other piped up with, "Can you imagine, a demon who benefits from humans getting along well with anyone? Hey, wanna make a bet on what Azazel will attune to?"

"Oh who cares. Think about what we can do when such a powerful demons gets back his range! I can't wait till we get to sack the castle!"

Belphegor unfolded her wings. "You will will wait until we have been shown around properly. Lord Azazel has sent us ahead on good confidence to see what goes down here."

"Told you he didn't trust Olivia," the first guard aid. "Do follow, my lady. I hear your talent is with craft itself? You'll be interested in what we have, no doubt."

While they walked towards an underground mesh hall, one of them told Favaro. "You really should get rid of that pact, mate. Olivia's pacts are much better!"

He just gave a stupid grin, and feigned interest in the empty place. Lots of makeshift torture devices, no occupants. At all.

"That's odd. Lord Furfur should be here already."

"What for?" Favaro asked.

"For the tests, of course."

"What tests?" Belphegor said. "Do elaborate, I have not paid any attention to the ongoings."

"Right, you do not get along with the dog. Furfur can get into human minds and magic, so he can tell better than anyone what Azazel's supposed to lean toward."

Of course, there just had to be freaky stuff going on. His old man's hatred for magic didn't feel so weird anymore.

"Interesting," Belphegor said. "I sure hope my fellow scientist arrives soon. In the meantime, would you mind if I call in some of my human assistants? I have a few of my own experiments with humans going."

"Aww, do we have to?" Favaro said. "Am I not good enough?"

Belphegor gave a long suffering look to the guards, like saying, _please don't make me work with the fool_.

"Sure thing, my lady."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina did her very best to look afraid and cling to Emeline when the guards came. She got an odd look from the one with the keys, who asked a fellow the check the records. They found enough names, and the guard blamed the failing of the otherwise superior demon memory on aftermath from slavery.

They herded the humans into the arena. Once the signal was given and Azazel had Olivia occupied, she'd take lead in getting everyone out. Until then, she had to keep her magic as repressed as possible, in case anyone who could sense it worked for Olivia.

Barrels of weapons were emptied in piles before them, while the seats above started filling up with demons. More than a few humans started picking weapons from the piles, while others stood by hesitantly.

"This happened before," Marcio said. "We only heard of it, but there were a few in our cell who survived previous mass battles."

He nodded at a nearby woman, who had poorly healed wounds on her face and arms. When noticing the attention, she confirmed. The humans outside were the playthings of Olivia's court, those inside were made to fight in the arena. This was the first time so many had been put here at once, and the first time people had been taken away from Furfur, who had his favorites.

Everyone got themselves a weapon, even as most looked like they had no experience with.

It didn't add up as a hostage situation. When Chris had done that, everyone was chained up, not given weapons. Several of these brimmed with magic that could kill even the ichor anchored demons. Why arm hostages? Was she so confident in her control?

The audience cheered at the balcony where once Chris had sat. Now a slender woman with bright orange hair took place here, no doubt Olivia.

She clapped her hands together once and the audience grew quiet as she gestured ahead. "Today, we are not here only for me."

Right opposite of her on the high wall stood a black winged silhouette; clear as Azazel to Nina, but to the humans he was someone else. He was supposed to be the diversion for Olivia, keeping her occupied while the ground forces secured the hostages.

When he flew lower to be just above Olivia on her throne, the white of his head and shoulder stood out.

"The rag demon is back!" a nearby human called.

Fearful cries and murmurs crossed the arena crowd, while the audience stood up cheering.

"Welcome, lord _Azazel_ ," Olivia called out, she herself rising from her throne to be level with Azazel.

"The rag demon is Azazel? Didn't Jeanne defeat him?" Burkhart said.

Horrified murmurs went through the people below, while the audience cheered Azazel's name and hollered about paying humans what they deserved.

This was a sacrifice.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The fear humans felt for him had become trivial long ago, but not lost its appeal. To see humans cower before him after what felt too long was satisfying, and yet, that didn't overpower the loathing he had for the amphitheater and everything it represented.

"What is this supposed to be?"

"It's a homecoming gift for you, lord Azazel," Olivia said. "May we reign on good terms, for the world awaits our return to power."

Wait, what?

"I don't need this. All I will have of this place is its total destruction."

"I understand the resentment towards the place of your _humiliation_ ," she said, a little coy, "But why not have a little _fun_ in the meantime? Please do appreciate the gift, and may you learn more in the process."

"What the hell are you going on about?"

She frowned.

"Which hell? Hell wanders and we brought it with us, and we can at the same time inverse the humiliation they brought upon us, and put these discarded vessels of ancient life to good use before they rot away."

"Stop your blabbering. Why would I want this filth?" He threw his black claw across the miserable lot. "You have strange ideas for gifts."

Olivia's face hardened. "Have some patience for me to explain then. I set this up in a way to appease you, this much is true, and it dissapoints me I failed. But there is a purpose to this as well : to learn your affinity. It should be something you are already inclined towards. Once you truly embrace it you will find back the range you lost with the fall of hell."

"Stop boring me with familiar rambling. They are too few to ever generate enough fear to mean anything."

"Familiar? We are the blood of El Elyon bygone in a world with no restraint. We are free through this old system, we only have to let ourselves flourish. With the defeat of hell humans _fear hell_ less, that is true," she said. "Our overspecialization is our undoing. See, humans _hate_ demons more now, and they hate so much already."

She clapped her hands, and the demons in the arena shoved the humans ahead into pairs. As only civilians, their attempts were pathetic, half hearted. They weren't yet forced to do better.

Olivia gestured at them.

"The _kind_ of hatred matters. It is so much stronger when humans fear not some distant darkness, but can bear down on what they hate. It kindles it where otherwise they don't feel the emotion unless during that time we invade. In this kingdom they step out of the door and hate every time they see the enslaved demons, and now they hate me specifically when I am right next to a nexus of power.

You can still teleport, so you are not without potential. You, the scapegoat, what would you be the patron demon of? Why not find out? Imagine you won't need to always rely on back up, like your failed rebellion before. We have ways to measure it."

He'd been through learning he could've pacted already, that he could've treated Nina better, that he could've had human allies. All this did was piss him off more.

"And what do you propose I do to find that out, hmm?"

Olivia nodded at the arena. "We have magic set up to measure the flow of human harvest, it will speed up discover once you know what you lean to. I recommend going by the main courses : hatred, despair, disgust, and then refine to concepts if feelings alone do not work. Perhaps you should try death itself, since you've been so fond of pitching humans against each other."

Azazel manifested his sword. "There will be only one more death match in this arena : you and I!"

He barged at her and swung, serpents out as well.

She twisted just out of his path without even teleporting. "Well now, scapegoat, are you feeling poorly? Why would you want to be my enemy? Just because of your dog? What more for an apology do you need?"

"Tch. I'd kill you just for going behind lord Lucifer's back and conspiring with Angra Mainyu!"

"Oh."

Within a blink, she was on his other side and kicked so hard, he shot down to the arena sideways. He just barely steered clear of the humans huddled at the side, sending himself against a wall.

Olivia came to a halt just above him. He climbed out of the hole and glared.

Genuinely surprised, she said, "You too? I do not understand, there is no indication you bend astray like your dog does. You are a servant of hell through and through."

"Shut your nonsense and get your trap going."

"A trap? I need no trap to deal with you," she said. "Nor did I expect to need to deal with you at all. Honestly, I didn't even consider you'd go against Lucifer in any way. I really did want an ally, but if you want a trap, I can make this one."

She balled her fists and flicked them open.

Under most humans in the arena, circles went alight, but it wasn't fire that burst out.

"So disappointing," the nearby human said in Olivia's voice, before another voice from the same body said, " _Help, please_."

All enchanted humans gripped their swords tighter, and attacked the one nearest to them.

Nina ripped a gate loose somewhere on the other side. Belphegor, Favaro and Rachel with her fellows poured into the arena, only to come to a screeching halt when all nearby humans turned on them. The rest continuing murdering each other at Olivia's behest. All were attacked, but himself; he was Olivia's prey.

Out of the chaos Favaro appeared at his side. "Hey, so, we got living zombies, and hostages who are trying to kill either . Got any idea what's going down?"

"It will stop when I kill her." Azazel said. "Get who ever isn't possessed out, knock out the rest, kill if you have to. Don't bloody fret over it."

They were her fuel and her soldiers and ... oh hell no.

She always knew where Cerberus was because Cerberus had a human in her home.

 _Mugaro_. She would know about Mugaro.

Azazel almost beelined for the slums, but a sharp pain in his back threw him to the arena ground.

Far above, Olivia floated with the tip of her foot still down.

"Now now, aren't the rules of a death match that nobody leaves until one or both are indeed dead?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

El Mugaro would've left, except Cerberus blocked the door. So they had a face off, El Mugaro glaring at her from her fancy chair while she had a wood chair. If only gates and teleportation wasn't so hard to learn, ne would be out already.

Someone knocked on the door, and Cerberus let it open only a little.

"Lady Cerberus, it's a little tight," old Nils said as he struggled through.

"Deal with it, I can't have the kid bolting," she said. "What did you want?"

"It's very anxious outside there. There's a fight in the arena and people think Azazel and Olivia somehow came to blows over the presence of a god."

"Dammit, they really are fighting already?"

"Yes, yes, it appears that things have gone a little differently than you hoped," he said before turning to El Mugaro. "If I may ask, who are you truly? The feats you've done for the demons are quite something."

"There's nothing about me that isn't known already, you didn't hear what my mother said?"

"We get very little news from the outside," Nils said.

El Mugaro was too impatient to go into details. "I just came home with Azazel. He wanted us to go hide somewhere, but I convinced him to go bring some of ours friends out, and now we're staying cause the rebellion is back on after all."

"Really?'We thought that since you were last seen with heaven only to suddenly vanish, perhaps Azazel had managed to abduct you. There is not intend to wield you against Charioce?"

"No, sir, not at all. Azazel wants me out of the rebellion entirely," ne said. "He thinks it's all too dangerous."

"Really? And your mother is Jeanne d'Arc? So those rumors are true too?"

Before El Mugaro could react, the old man had shoved a knife into nur stomach.

Ne fell, gasping for breath, only dimly aware of Cerberus's growling. As the last sounded faded, ne fell through the same veil that ne'd reached through to retrieve Azazel. All ne held onto was the pain of nur body and the organ in the head — oh, so that's where souls were stored.

El Mugaro saw nur own body like a solid mass filled with countless threads extending from the head. Flesh holding energy in a very specific way, with nur self only slowly dropping away. As long as that organ in the brain existed, one didn't truly leave the world.

And there was so much more ...

Ne had been looking from the other angle, from above the surface of water. From below he could not see much of the dry world, but the details of the submergence was so much richer.

Strings spun out from a center somewhere around the arena, one shaded maroon and tied to many souls, the other only two dim purple threads to the castle. Tuning nur senses further, the purple core had to be Azazel — chaotic like a cluster of serpents. The other more like an inferno. Further on, another demon soul, this one pitch grey and tied to most of the same as the maroon one.

It wasn't truly in an upper level, but that was the closest sense concept ne could give it. The souls of gods swam on the ichor facing the sun, the souls of demons on ichor rising from the fire below. The souls of humans shining in green light, except those tied to the inferno.

If not for the threads, El Mugaro would've never paid more attention to this layer. Cores of light just a little above that of the fallen gods, and even above the demons. Where pressure was lighter along with the water, but also allowed them to drift more. So many of these were tied to the inferno, including the old man who had just stabbed, but he was hollow. Nothing left, only a hole filled with Olivia's magic.

Other humans were anchored somehow, unlike the expansive stars of the gods and demons.

Nur own body lay at the center, but expansive and variant in the way other souls were, yet still anchored, and below ...

A million eyes looked back. El Mugaro screamed, but sound did not exist here.

Ne scrambled away, back to nur body. The threads had to tie back now, immediately. Back into the organs of the mind, now, now, away from the eyes.

"Don't hold so tight!"

As El Mugaro came by, ne found nurself already sitting, clinging to Cerberus's free arm.

Mimi was on the other hand, covered in blood and Nils was nothing but gore on the ground. Cerberus trembled and muttered about traitors.

"She ... " El Mugaro needed a few more tries before nur got out, "She controlled him."

"What?" Cerberus pushed nur away to make eye contact. "Tell me that in detail."

So El Mugaro blubbered through an explanation, trying to control the shaking. Death hurt and ne had been so close to being gone forever, it was difficult to focus, but ne got it out.

"I can't believe her! That brat just goes and invents a way to mind control for the living? Oh, we need Rita back."

"I don't think they have a soul anymore," El Mugaro said.

"Whatever," Cerberus said. "We're not—"

A loud crack drew their attention.

Nils stood back up, despite the dreadful wound, spurred by the same kind of magic behind zombies. Cerberus spat on the ground, easily intercepted the shambling body and dragged it to the hearth. Furious, she stomped the corpse into the fire.

"Dammit, I was not going to get involved, but does she think she can get away with inhabiting not just my home, but my crew?"

She bled, but before Mugaro could even start healing her, Cerberus folded in on herself. She shed her skin like it was only a coat. Out of the void came an pulsing mass of flesh pulling itself together into the shape of an mangy red dog. Mimi at her most monstrous had welded next to the main head, while an oozing wound was on the other side. She had to be about the size of a bear, but felt so much larger.

Through dried out lips, Cerberus frowled, "I hate being like this, child. You better be grateful. Now get on, we have a fight to catch."

 **· · · · · · ·**

He had her this time, the black blade slicing through her waist and yet she teleported away again. She didn't reappear anywhere, though.

Had the wound done her in, sending her astray on reflect?

"She's here!" Nina yelled somewhere below.

She pointing at a random human who glowed a little. He lowered himself, where Belphegor came to his side. "There was a light, it fell on that human."

The light dimmed, but the human's flesh twisted and changed into Olivia. The clothes remained the same, until she opened her eyes and clapped her hands, forming her old outfit in place. She was healed entirely.

This was getting ridiculous, how did she have so much talents?

One of Rachel's crew tried to encase her in a sphere, but she was up in the air again and simply threw a fireball at the woman.

"Now, scapegoat and inventor, tell me : how did you come to fail like this? Are you trying to fall up, even as your affinity binds you to hell?"

He pushed Belphegor back down to the fight, where the ground team made poor progress knocking people out.

Azazel faced Olivia. "I'm not going anywhere. Hell is my home and I will take my people back to it! Don't you dare question that!'

A flicker later, and she kicked him down again. He caught the wind under his wings, but she was behind him again for a second kick, and so he was back in the sand, surrounded by corpses.

The crowd cheered, this time demons calling for his death. Human blood splattered the sands, but the difference hardly mattered. This was all too familiar.

"Why don't you just k—" No, not going there, Nina would start on that later. "Why are you drawing this out?"

"I have to know you better." Olivia said. "If I am to revive the demon tribe to its glory, I have to predict weaknesses better than I do now."

"Who gave you even the right to decide what our glory should be?" Azazel snapped.

"The destructive spirit did," Olivia said. "I prove myself to her with every breath. The reign of Arbiter Mortis did not cure the earth, it must be us."

All around, the humans maimed and murdered each other, but most remained alive. It'd be long before Olivia was entirely out of fuel or hostages. Favaro and Belphegor had the addition of demonic opponents, Nina wasn't in range of sight. There was no evacuating anyone, and half of the ground team wouldn't even consider fleeing right now. He needed to stop this, but how? If she could heal, teleport _and_ possess, he had no arsenal to last.

Olivia was just up there, calm as the mist itself, while all he got was more wounds. They shouldn't be from a demon, the should be allies, but he couldn't stand her kind anymore.

Unfortunately, he had to stand her in his presence.

He stood again, but didn't fly up.

"I cannot defeat you, but we have a common enemy, and you need me alive. Would you make a truce?" he said.

"You have some nerve saying that after you attacked me out of the blue," Olivia said.

"I was wrong."

"You were wrong to become this way too," she said. "And your dog is wrong, and your scientist, and your little angel should not even exist. They have come in the way of us when we would set the world straight. They are all offenses that must be erased, and if you side with their ilk I cannot trust you."

"Then don't trust me. Only fools do. But you call me scapegoat, so let me take the blame. We can fight this out later, once Charioce is gone."

Her face twisted in disgust, but she said nothing. Only the sound of fighting went on around, and Azazel needed all his focus to keep himself still if she was to even consider it, knowing Nina and Belphegor and the others were right there as her targets.

"You wouldn't trust me either," Olivia said at last. "Now come and see whether I will kill you."

Azazel spread his wings, flew at her, again, and failed to kill her again, and again.

He'd never wanted for spirit to fight hopeless battles, but right now he wanted for an idea better than that. He didn't get that, but there was a moment of reprieve.

Just as Olivia had made another crater with him while she herself used up another human to heal, an all encompassing golden light tinged with red filled the amphitheater.

The mob lost focus and the half formed Olivia screamed so loud, as if her wings had been torn off. Part of the human body fell away, leaving her angelic form without part of her legs, one arm and some of her left wing.

Had he been closer he would've had another shot.

Azazel panicked, "No, get out of here!"

Too late, Olivia noticed nur. Pain or not, she teleported right up to Mugaro and swung her sword. Azazel scrambled to fly at her, already knowing he was too late — but there was no blood. Olivia's blade hit nothing.

Far off on the balcony, Mugaro reappeared on the back of — was that _Cerberus_? Hell, she looked horrible, but it was her. Damn and bless them alike for breaking his rules.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina knocked out another human, only to find her next attacker suffering a sudden loss of skill. Catching a breath, she knocked him out and jumped back.

All around humans fell still, more and more by the second. Some just stared on confusion while others collapsed with screams over injuries they'd been forced to ignore.

"Without Furfur, you're a mere fire elemental, aren't you?" Cerberus called out.

"Indeed." Olivia sent out a ring of fire that crossed the amphitheater's edges and went down to the city, but it was to a distant swelling song. Judging from the sound, the fire met solid water. Mist converged thicker over the amphitheater until it blocked the sun. Even clouds began to converge. Far above, Nina could swear Amira was at the center, just before it began to rain.

"Like I said, just a fire elemental."

Cerberus appeared behind Olivia and Azazel teleported at the same time. Nina couldn't see quite what happened so far up, except a spray of green and purple blood. A bright flash followed with an orange sphere of light falling down on the nearest human.

Confused, Azazel looked around while Cerberus teleported to the ground, avoiding her fall. Sniffing didn't bring her any closer to Olivia, but Nina still sensed her.

She was within the human the light had hit, all her power drawing together there. The body transformed and soon she stood there again, completely regenerated.

Olivia cheated the system in the same way Nina did by resetting her body to a former modus. Rather than use up innate power to regenerate, she used humans somehow.

Shifting over, Cerberus slammed her jaws into her leg and teleported to Azazel, who set his sword through her guts.

Olivia cringed into herself and just teleported away. Before she even reappeared she'd turned to light and fell into the next human. When her wings broke out, she teleported up and shot off a single flare of fire so thick the rain didn't quell it.

Outside the walls, someone cried out and the rain lessened.

"Tipa's injured, I have to heal her," Mugaro said. Cerberus rolled her eyes, but teleported the two of them away.

Nina stood helpless as high above, Olivia attacked Azazel again. He could meet her blow by blow, but could not land anything when she teleported at the slightest nick of the blade. He himself could teleport so much less, and she began to predict where he'd appear. Never more than a few meters ahead.

Again she threw Azazel to the ground, his scream behind the dust pulling Nina to move, but what could she do?

Olivia's feathers peaked over the dust, her sword raised along. Nina broke into a run, but Cerberus was there first, dragging Olivia back by her wings just in time. Mugaro was at Azazel's side, blue light shining to bring him back to his feet. He just pushed Mugaro away before he was fully healed and threw himself at Olivia. She blocked his attack easily and kicked Cerberus away, and again teleported past him. To Mugaro.

Azazel just barely tackled her aside by forcing his teleport limits. Cerberus threw herself into the fray again, slamming Olivia to the ground.

It wasn't even a surprise anymore when Azazel's sword bore into sand only.

Olivia was back yet again at Mugaro, only to be hit by an invisible force. This got her off balance long enough for Azazel and Cerberus to get to her. Teeth and snakes tore through her wings, she only avoided death by spinning around and putting them off balance.

She slashed open Cerberus's wound, then she was gone again.

Turned to light, Olivia fell down in an injured human not yet evacuated, already beginning to regenerate.

Mugaro was on nur knees, exhausted. Soon ne was pass out, but still ne tried to exile her.

The light flickered, and failed as Mugaro fell over. Azazel hesitated between staying close and going over the regenerating Olivia, while Cerberus struggled to her feet.

Nina pushed down as much of the dragon as possible to surpress her radiance, picked up a sword and ran at Olivia as if she were just a desperate human.

Olivia switched her sword to catch her on it, almost nonchalant. Nina jumped behind as she unfolded her wings, enveloping Olivia in pink energy.

"You?"

Nina locked an arm around Olivia's neck, the other holding down her arm. Letting go just enough magic, she became a blazing pink torch to cut off Olivia's navigation. She swing her around to face Azazel.

"Do it!"

Olivia closed her hand over Nina's skull, starting to squeeze. Azazel's serpents froze before even fully emerging.

"Don't waste this chance!" Nina hissed, "I'll just transform."

But Olivia stopped squeezing, a quiet exchange — if he moved, Nina might die — and that shouldn't matter.

"Mugaro can just bring me back, like ne did with you!"

Olivia gasped. "You even have a resurrector? What else?"

"More than you know," Nina whispered. The pressure on her skull send her dragon running rampant, but she had to stay conscious. Keep Olivia here, cause no one else could. "We don't punish people for getting better. I bet you didn't even notice the scientists? How about the gardeners? Cerberus put them togehter, we're just the wariors. All of us together are better rebels than you and your tricks."

"But then why am I ... ?" Olivia whispered. "Angra?"

Her hand slackened and fell away.

What?

Azazel's serpents pierced Olivia from her left and right, nearly avoiding Nina. Olivia just slumped down like a sack of sand, her head lulling back against Nina's shoulder.

Nina needed all her strength not to shove the corpse away and out of her blocking range, leaving her trembling above it.

Cerberus lunged at it, sinking in both jaws. Orange blood splashed over Nina as the dogs devoured Olivia.

Slowly Nina stepped back, away from the dead eyes, the head that jerked with every strip of flesh ripped loose. She'd been so alive yet before, and she'd hesitated. It wasn't her that upset Nina, just the sudden shift from so alive, to nothing but flesh.

Nina became aware of the blood on herself. It had to get off. She grabbed a piece of trouser from a nearby corpse, tearing it off without regard. As long as she didn't look at the faces, she could bear corpses. Just not any of it on herself.

"Nina?" Azazel's voice ... Right, there was work to do.

"I'll be fine. I mean, enough to do this. I just need to change." She finished getting the blood off her arms, her face, her legs, her wings. It still was on her clothes, she had to change.

The arena was a massacre and the demons on the seat had fallen into a terrified silence. All eyes were on Azazel.

All he did was picked up Mugaro in his arms. He cast a look at his allies to confirm their state; Nina and Belphegor were mostly whole, while the more human ones were more injured. Cerberus and Mimi (that was them, right?) had a lot of cuts and scorchmarks from Olivia in addition to their preexisting wound.

With Mugaro out cold, there would be no healing anyone. This was a bitter victory.

As Azazel's wings unfolded, he told Nina, "Empty the arena. Once I'm back I will tear it down."

She nodded, unable to unravel the lump in her throat.

He flew up, and to the audience he said, "Don't give me reason to tear you down along with it."

Nina found her old friends. Emeline and Burkhart couldn't even stand, while Marcio needed to lean on a weapon to walk.

"Don't worry, you're safe now," she said, and loud for the others, "It's over, I promise. Once Mugaro's awake, you'll be healed, so just hold out a little longer."

Few them looked like they believed her. She couldn't blame them.

Burkhart took the word with, "Nina, who was that god? Mugaro?"

"ne also goes by El, and Jegudiel in heaven," Nina said. "Ne is Jeanne's child with the archangel Michael."

"Those rumors are true?" Emeline asked.

"Yes. Ne also led the siege on Anatae not too long ago. Two years ago, Charioce tried to kill the goddess Sofiel, Mugaro and Jeanne came to her aid and he passed the death sentence on Mugaro. Jeanne hid nur among the demon slaves, until Azazel came to the rescue. Ne's lived with him for the past years." Please believe it's over.

She might as well have tried to sell them the sun, but they'd also just seen the sun come down, now joined by Rachel and the glowing gems in her arms.

"I send for carts. That's a lot of people we gotta explain things to. We should've brought pamphlets," Rachel muttered.

"Are you with the king?" someone asked, eyes on the green power.

"Like hell we are." Rachel grinned at that. "Didn't Nina fill you in yet?"

Nina beat her wings with an apologetic grin. "Sorry, they don't find me credible."

"What are you anyway?" Emeline asked Nina.

"I'm a demonic dragon," Nina said. "I think? They call me an ascended demon up in heaven cause we live on the surface. We separated from hell a long time ago."

"Yeah, speaking of that, can you hurry up and rejoin?" Rachel said. "The rest of Olivia's court is being a pain in the ass. We'll get the humans settled."

Nina found said demons wandering the halls inside the amphitheater, grouped together and armed still, but not outright attacking her. In fact, they shrunk when she approached. They must've heard what she'd done. Kinda.

Planting her hands on her hips, she told them, "Nobody gets hurt, understood? Not the humans, nor whichever demons Olivia targetted. Got it?"

They nodded. "What will lord Azazel do?"

Nina place a finger on her lips. "I don't know, actually. I guess you could join the rebellion now, as long as you don't go around killing people at random?"

"Then what are we becoming?" he asked.

"I don't know yet, but we're trying for better than this." Nina kicked some rubble away. "So, you're going to help the humans walk out now, and no being mean. Rachel and her people are around and I'll keep an eye on you too."

And herself, because she felt awfully tempted to run to the wall and catch a glimpse of Chris. No. Not when there was work to do.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Homonid again, Cerberus teleported into her old home, but didn't find Arachne until she followed a trail to the cellar. There, the spider spun endlessly even though her abdomen had shrunk and shrivelled.

"Hey there," Cerberus whispered. "You can stop now."

Bewildered, Arachna peered through her tangled hair. She didn't stop.

Cerberus took hold of her pedipalps, raising them away from the thread. "Olivia's gone. Really, you can stop."

"She said I have to keep going, the more thread the better the threat." Her eyes looked so wide and fearful, Cerberus couldn't stand it. Demons weren't supposed to look like this.

"Olivia is dead as a rock."

"Furfur too?"

"Yeah, he's gone too. Did he work with you?"

"A little. He brought me home."

Probably an illusion of her old home, she wouldn't be the only one to miss it.

Oh well, she'd deal with it. "Let's go to your new home now. I'm taking back my old lair, clear up Olivia's mess and then I'm the boss again, and you can go back to weaving whatever you like."

Arachna let Cerberus pull her to her feet, and teleporting her to the amphitheater was easy despite her size.

If Olivia was right about Cerberus's so called specialization, what did that mean for her future? If she would be better off with community than thriving on fear, then hell's current culture didn't serve her very well. Chaos, listen to her. Why would she even be themed on community?

The arena was emptying. She sent Mimi off to find any remainders the fools might've missed in their assumption Olivia would care to put everyone in the arena. If she was gonna be something as sappy as community demon — she needed a better word for this — then hell be damned she was going to be good at it.

Arachna froze when she saw the humans streaming out of the arena.

"Uh ... what's happening?"

"See, Azazel's officially in charge. I'm _practically_ in charge because I'm better at organization, we're just calling him the leader so he can take the beatings. Anyway ..." Cerberus made a show of rolling her eyes. "We're putting more emphasis on the moderate part of Lucifer's affiliation, so the human cattle thing is a _no go_ now."

Arachna looked utterly disbelieving.

"Yes, I know, this is all weird," Cerberus said. "Just get to removing the sticky stuff from the houses."

"Wait, hold it." Favaro came running up. "That's a really bad idea. The moment Charioce has a chance to burn down this place in a way that makes you look like the bad guy, he will. If these guys start walking out, I'll bet you Charioce is gonna tell his aristrocrats he had a secret mission going and then everything goes up in flames and the demons will be blamed."

"Incineration can happen for as much as a lamp knocked over." Cerberus shrugged. "I don't care, but I'm prreeeeeetty sure we're not doing mass murder anymore."

"Exactly, so we'll bring the humans into the underground. Malphas already has a few pacts going, right? You can afford to expand the tunnels, you can't afford Charioce storming in here without hindrance. Same's for sending them to the other side, actually, once again presuming Angra's cooperating. Come on, she let Charioce, the Onyx Knights and Merlin in, we can't trust her."

Point taken. "Arachna, go rest a bit and then join Malphas for tunnel and door matters."

That done, Cerberus followed Azazel's scent to a small church, which reeked of that human Favaro had dragged in the other day.

The door stood open, and inside fear hung in the air. Inside she found a whole clutter of humans pressed to the walls and Cluysenaar inching towards a smaller door. A few feathers lay on the ground, both black and white.

Cerberus waited until Azazel teleported behind her.

"Ne was here before, demons avoid it," Azazel said. "I want your personal guards around here. After that, go around the district and inform Olivia's allies of the change of direction. They can join me or be locked up — kill troublemakers but don't threaten death for not joining. I don't want potential backstabbers in my court."

"I can live with us doing the old hierarchy thing as long as your stupidity doesn't cost me, but tell me, what are we doing when it comes to lord Lucifer?"

His eyes shifted to the church, and Cerberus knew enough. He couldn't stop her from telling Lucifer about the child, but she herself wasn't quite sure she wanted Lucifer in on things. Not anymore. Olivia's contempt to her was still fresh on her mind. It wouldn't be the last demon she'd meet like that, if her stupid so called speciality leaked. Which apparently got her all this nice teleportation power.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Today was misty, as per the weather forecast, with way too much rings of fire and screaming, definitely not as per Nina's forecast. His advisers were already wondered aloud about the coincidence. Ugh, why again he have to fall for an enemy dragon?

"There appears to be infighting that takes advantage of a main player going down," he told his advisers. "I will go myself in case anything happens."

"But your majest, the king of Manaria—"

"Offer him my sincerest apologies for the wait, but surely he will understand I must attend to the safety of my kingdom."

"He would love to accompany you."

Ugh. There was no easy way out of it if phrased like that when he'd invited the king to show how much in control he was.

So he got his unicorn saddled up, hauled along the excited king, and off he went.

When he arrived, Lao had a miserably small deer demon pinned to the ground. His Onyx Knights looked rather shaky on their feet as they applied a collar and shackles.

"What do we do with it?" George asked.

"Bring it to the dungeons and we'll find out," Charioce said.

There was a cart ready, he didn't even need to say the obvious except for the show before the king.

Actually, there was something else. Descending his unicorn, he approached the demon. A typical ugly thing, except for the lining of white feathers.

He plucked one, turning it over in his hand. With just the slightest zap of power, it turned to a spray of gold. Holy magic, eh? This was going to be interesting.

The king of Manaria joined him, curious at the sight and idly speculating on what this meant. Charioce suffered through him babbling on — the fool thought that just because his kingdom had a few good academies he got to talk about everything and be useful.

Admittedly, he did say one sensible thing : that wall probably wasn't even demon magic, and this demon here was an example of one stepping outside the traditional realm.

"Not that it matters much, Charioce," the king said jovially. "Our academies might have been founded by gods, but we've developed them further on our own. Such things are trivial."

 _Are they now?_

Everyone froze at the dry voice that came from nowhere.

"What was that voice?" the king asked. His eyes were on the captured demon, but that wasn't the source.

 _My voice is the voice of every mortal who curses his benefactors. It sounds deep within your head, does it not?_

"What was that?" The king of Manaria looked at Charioce, who had no answer that didn't involve explaing how he'd met this one before, and had been unable to capture it.

"Angra Mainyu? Help me!" the trapped demon sputtered.

 _Obsolete. We have better prayers now, you will see. Very soon._

Charioce got the feeling that wasn't just aimed at the trapped demon, but him too.

So he waited, and indeed, Azazel appeared over the wall. Eyes on the demon, the fallen angel landed atop the wall.

Azazel kept his face cold and folded his wings without shrinking them. With the setting sun dim in the mist behind him, he had that typical ominous evil overlord vibe going.

"This part of the city has a new master," Azazel declared. "And you are no closer to driving us back."

Oh goody, they were going to exchange shallow assertions of dominance?

"So it would seem," Charioce said evenly.

If he had some luck, Azazel would now resume slaugthering humans like he'd done for centuries, and once he took back his city he would have a fine mess to show the aristrocracy, himself once more a victor and Jeanne a fool. Maybe, just maybe, Nina would finally bail and realize — oh was he kidding? Lately Azazel was enough of a wuss to do Nina embarassing favors, and Nina was hopelessly devoted to her naive ideals. He would need set up.

"I pressume you will not let go any of my citizens?"

"You won't get anything from me," Azazel said. "I am a demon, after all."

Oh come on, spice it up at least.

But Azazel just turned away, changing his mind, and said, "She survived, in case you cared to know."

No. Not like that. Honestly. Yes, that's nice to know, but most importantly, you twat. Of all the things Azazel could say, it had to be that. In front of his visistors. Who were already at risk of hearing certain rumors.

Azazel wanted to see his response, so he gave him nothing.

"Tch." And finally he fluttered off, probably to tell Nina something generically contemptuous.

The king of Manaria sided up and made some vague remarks about bad demons. The tension below it was clear.

Well. He'd figure out a way to make it work.

 **· · · · · · ·**

He couldn't bring anyone back, but he would make it so nobody died here ever again.

The arena now lay more still than he'd ever seen it. Not a sound in the corridor or cells, no low vibration of Dromos's magic. Without power it was just a shell, ready to crumble to him.

He landed before the throne. Olivia hadn't changed anything as far as he could tell, it was still Charioce's throne. Disgust incarnate through rich fabric and expensive metals, so the king would be as glorious and comfortable as possible as demons died for his entertainment. By now he was used to seeing the connection to himself — he'd gone a step further with a peacock pattern, but also, never as as destroying a whole tribe.

Serpents spun out along with his sword. With one swift strike all the the throne broke into pieces. The serpents bore onward into the rock and the pillars, tearing down the entire balcony. He flew into the hall behind, tearing the walls along.

At the first supportive pillar, he gathered energy together into a single radiant blast. With a satisfying crash, the entire thing came down and took much of the upper level along.

In the past he had one had enough charge for one blast, but another now he could go on, and so he did. More pillars broke, before he ascended to the seats to speed up their collapse.

He came to a sudden halt off the center of the battleground.

Around here, he had killed Dante. A second death to make a mockery of the first, because simply destroying the rebellion had not been enough for Charioce.

Dispelling all magic, he knelt down. It was guess only that this was the place, any sign of him long gone. Still Azazel laid his hand on the ground.

He would remember. Long before Azazel had even considered uniting his people, Dante had pulled together a resistance. That Azazel had deemed himself most fit leader felt absurd now, it was Dante's work and his trust that had held it all together. He could only hope to achieve the same with the new rebellion.

Whatever Dante might have been, a true chimera or the mere remnant of a human skeleton taken over by a demon soul, he lived for the demons, and yet regarded the humans. He'd never even come to learn what Dante truly felt about humankind, Azazel had brushed by and torn him along to his death. It was too late to learn more.

Azazel stepped back. Rather than tear down the floor directly, he forced his serpents underground into the tunnels, breaking all of the support walls. The battleground collapsed all at once, sending sand clouds up.

He returned to the remaining pillars.

Breaking through the thick rock took longer, but here he felt nothing but rage. One down, next one, an endless, inexhaustic burst of serpents, his sword slicing ahead. The longer he went on, the less he cared for finesse. He kicked the floors down, tears into the pillars with his claws and hurled pieces into standing support until the cacophony was perfect.

Exhaustion began to set in, but so did sight through the eyes of his serpents stronger than ever. There was so much left to do. He raged on until he found something familiar.

The room where he and Mugaro had once worked was still somewhat intact. The furnace had gone cold and the books dusted over. There were still a few pieces on achohol in jars, never sold. Those he would not destroy.

Dismissing all his serpents, he found a lighter, set the remains in the ashes. The flames kindled easily.

He sat against the broken wall and watched it burn for the last time.

How long he stayed there he didn't think of until rubble fell down along with a shadow. Peering through a hole in the ceiling was Nina.

"Sorry for disturbing you, but you'd stopped and there was smoke. Olivia's not back or anything?"

"No."

Nina dropped down and stood before the fire. Careful, she pushed some of the ashes further into the kiln before facing him.

"You're not bleeding snakes anymore," she said.

He hadn't even noticed. His arms were stable, only dimly itching to manifest anything.

"What happened here that got you so ill?" Nina asked.

He stood up, but changed his mind halfway.

Telling her this when she was practically dating Charioce felt ... off. Wrong. Something. On the other hand, he wanted her to get it.

"It started here in the arena when he forced me to kill Dante. At that point ... I don't know. I was forced to give up, maybe that was it. This all was our slavery wielded to our own annihilation, the worst degradation of all. The only way to leave was to die or swear fealty to Charioce, covered in the blood of

I had come to save my people and he used me as a weapon to destroy us. In a way it worked. We didn't have enough fighters today, because they died here at our hands but his behest."

"Is it over now?"

What a stupid thing to say, if it was ignorant. But it sounded more like foolish hope, so he said, "You know it won't, don't you? I'll remember. Everyone who survived will. They'll either have secrets or a legacy of suffering now. Only suffering in case of those born here and now. Future children will be weaker than the past, because he made sure to weed out the strongest and diminish hell. The demon tribe will bear these scars for generations to come. I will not be over for a long time even if we defeat him."

"It'll get better though." She smiled sadly. "At least you can remember without breaking down. So you'll get better."

She sounded like she needed it to be true for him when it hadn't been for her.

"If the snakes are yours again ... I guess it wasn't grief, but you've got control now. I wonder why it did that."

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that it ends." He dug his claws into the rock, crumbled it to pieces. No, he would not rid of all his hatred for it. He never would be. "Go back outside, I'll finish up."

She almost reached out, but changed her mind and quickly climbed out. "I'll be near. Angra Mainyu hasn't dropped the barrier, probably, but I'll look out for that."

Once Nina was clear, he curled up in the air outside. Dim purple light broke from him before hundreds of serpents errupted. He didn't need his core eyes, he used theirs.

Through this he tore down the rest of the amphitheater, more and more systematic. Rage placed in a system took it down quicker.

When all he had left was ruins, he also had an empty feel. Maybe that was some kind of peace — but that couldn't be until Charioce was dead, so it was just stability, or relative rest.

He took position on a pile of boulders with a broken arch, eyes fixed toward the upper ring. If the barrier went down, he'd have to act.

Eventualy Nina half climbed up to stand on the same spot, far from him.

"So, you were at the wall?"

"All he said was boring formal stuff," Azazel said. It wasn't hard not to snap right now.

He expected her to say something about him, but Nina blurted out, "You know, I don't think I'll ever like killing. Is it bad that _the way_ matters? She was so near and I still hear Cerberus _eat_. It's not like with animal corpses, they were never people."

"I hardly have tips there. It was never difficult for me, even when I was an angel," he said. "Let alone now."

"I noticed. You know, I was afraid for a moment you'd go through them."

"I'm not going to pretend that wasn't my first, second and third impulse until Mugaro showed up."

"I'm glad that you didn't, but it's still scary that you wanted to at all."

"He. I'll never understand having trouble killing," he said. "But I can be wrong, so I'll be careful not to rush into anything. Is that good enough for you?"

"I'm not keeping a score." She didn't look at him, so how was he supposed to take that? She stared ahead sadly, five meters from him and getting soaked.

Goddamit why did she have to be so difficult about this?

Stretching her wing over her, he nudged her below it. She got the hint. She got it so much, she latched onto his arm. From above he could just see a hint of smile.

It felt too late a realization with how obvious it now was : she hadn't been repelled. She just had thought _he_ was.

Alright, disgust certainly was a thing here. It just was about Charioce, not her. For hell's sake, why would she think it was her?

Nina rested her head against his arm. "Can we not talk about death anymore? At least not for today?"

He kept his tongue. That seemed enough for Nina.

They would have to talk about death again, espcially Charioce. Azazel stood to lose Nina in more than one way. By the many enemies at the castle, or by fate putting her between him and Charioce, and he had to pry himself away from the doom thinking. He closed his claws around Nina's hand, and for now there was just her and the rain and guard duty.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Jeanne! Something's wrong with Coco!" Mirin called just outside the door.

She was on her feet right away, on the unicorn the next moment. A short gallop later, and Mirin landed in a dirty street at a bloody mess.

Rather than a small dog, Coco had turned into the monstrous two legged beast, but for some reason his legs had splattered all over the place. He was just a giant head and leg gasping for breath. On the open end of his neck, half formed lungs faded out of view.

Arligau tapped her on the shoulder. Ve had a blanket, and an idea how to softly roll Coco onto it, so they could carry him somewhere safer.

Jeanne shook her head. "Our unicorn will help."

Barely had she spoken, or the unicorn tapped vun horn at the wound. Coco whined, but couldn't do anything more.

The unicorn stepped back, leaving behind a glowing green mirage of its own body. With one swipe, the unicorn sliced off the head and a leg, then stomped vun feet to drum alive a magical circle. Giving an intent look at Mirin, ve indicated she was to claim the circle.

Mirin brushed her wings across it, turning the circle purple. Without prompting, she nicked her arm and led her blood fall on it.

The circled turned black and mass twisted from the earth into the imago. Black bones and muscles and skin grew into place, shaped like an equine still. Twitching alive, it staggered closer to Coco, whom Jeanne and Arligau tried their best to lift. The dog head was so heavy, Jeanne almost buckled through her knees, but stayed steady long enough. The body welded onto the wound, the unicorn's horn lined it shut until no blood was left.

All let go a breath, like fallen from a shared trance.

"What just happened?" Arligau asked.

Coco moved his head up and down, slashed his jaws at nothing and at least flicked his ears. Sniffing deep, he said, "I have no idea about that unicorn, but as for me, Cerberus and Mimi went true form, so I did too. I can't not, we only have one soul, if we take it out of limbo ichor jumps into place to form our body. In our true body, we're just a three headed dog."

"Say what now?" Mirin said.

"You know with some of the transformations, there is a moment of pure light where she has no real body, right? We use that moment where our soul is suspended in the layer of souls alive before we get a new body. And we cheat, with a secret that's just ours. We're three people, but we've got one soul like we were three heads on one body. Imago magic doesn't know well what to do with that, you see. Now can I get something to drink? Oh, and I want a nice roast. This new stomach is empty."

"Hunting would be great, we need more food!" Mirin chirped like they hadn't just been told something word shatteringly bizarre.

The unicorn stood still, green horn glowing bright in the dark alley. Pieces of spiritual haze fell away, and Jeanne placed where she'd seen such shifting black matter before. The island. Dromos.

Jeanne laid her hands on the sides of the horn, which really was more like a blade.

 _Filling the hole of a soul._

How the unicorn did it. Holes and tears everywhere, waiting to be stitched up, others to be made with strict permission.

Jeanne backed away, suddenly overcome with the sickening sight of the maimed dog, aware how undisturbed she'd been just before. Unnaturally so.

The unicorn knew how to act, how to fill the holes and bring it together, because ve had been doing that for a long time. Even drawing others along and sharing knowledge was a habit.

Jeanne startled when someone put an arm around her shoulders.

Close by, Sofiel said, "What is all this?"

"It is the same source of power as Dromos," Jeanne whispered. "The unicorn's horn, it's from the same place. I don't understand."

"That can't be, unicorns are the holiest of beings," Sofiel said, but she didn't sound certain.

"What is this world?" Jeanne asked, still shaking. Even Sofiel's presence couldn't rid her of the sinking dread.

A single word trailed through her spirit, anything else lost.

 _Kuja ..._

 **· · · · · · ·**

The rain stopped, and the barrier remained. Azazel was about to pick Nina up and fly to the slums when Cerberus appeared in an unusually large smoke cloud. She staggered on her feet and almost fell down the rocks.

"Something really weird just happened," she said. "It felt a little like the magic your kid did when resurrecting nurself. What exactly can ne do at range?"

"Mugaro is asleep," Azazel just said. If ne wasn't, ne'd be here already.

"What are you doing here?" Cerberus asked.

"Waiting to see whether we need to sound the alarm if the barrier comes down," Nina said.

"Aha. Standing out with a cute thing latching onto you is so effective, Azazel," Cerberus said.

Azazel put a claw over his eyes to block out her judgy look. "Have you looked at yourself?"

"I have a look, you have your own. I put Belphegor and Trismegistus on barrier guard duty at the wall, but we need to get touch with Angra Mainyu and settle her allegiance cause I want them back at work. Especially orangehouses for the plants because Charioce still has no supply line for us, but we're in talk with the Red Troupe on exchanging hostages."

Nina tensed up.

"We're keeping them?" Nina asked.

"Unless you want your boyfriend to plow through us all if he gets past the barrier somehow. Honestly, we should count on that even if Angra Mainyu's not gonna lower it. Furfur made a point of haunting that side for a reason. Anyway, Olivia wrote had one of her human dolls deal with the city's records, so guess what we have? The names of everyone who owned slaves."

Azazel managed half a grin. "Well that makes it a lot easier to see who gets to walk and who doesn't."

Nina only grew tenser, but didn't speak. His earlier promise he'd leave the citizens to Jeanne should not need a reminder.

Instead she held out a hand. "Can I look over them? I've got some ideas on how we can handle this, from my home. We don't have a prison there, but we got people misbehaving. We're creative, I promise."

Cerberus handed her the papers and vanished.

Still hooking his arm, Nina flipped through the pages. She chuckled a few times.

"What's so funny?"

"Cerberus's notes. She's lamenting you're not going to do things the old ways and suggest a lot of new ways to not be nice. I actually like some of them."

"You could just let the humans believe things will be the old way to keep them in line."

"No, I'm going to make sure everyone knows you're ... I can't say better so well, I guess, but you're at least not going to slaughter them. So they are going to hear about my falling off that tower and about Mugaro and so on."

Nina was going to ruin his reputation, and this was all going to come back once the courts of Lucifer joined them here. And it didn't even feel that important, not where he stood now. The amphitheater was ruins, the castle not yet, and there was so much worse pain to exist.

"They _will_ be more obedient if they're afraid. Do you have to?" he asked, less to argue and more out of curiosity.

"Yes. Because I hate how how fear feels. I want the people here to have as little as possible of it." She looked up, somehow appearing clearer than ever. "You know what fear's like, too."

It wasn't death, it wasn't even the torture, but after the arena, he did. "Do what you want, just leave me out of it."

Nina smiled. "You came inside on your own."

The remained at guard, but not for the barrier. Humans and demons slowly trickled out of the slums, claiming houses. It didn't go without problem and kept them up all night, but there was a benefit to feeling empty, there was room for other things. Even if it was just irritation and weariness at why someone wouldn't just take this house over that one.

 **· · · · · · ·**

At dawn El Mugaro woke up to white ceilings and shot up in panic, wings flaring out. But oh, these weren't the halls of heaven. Crude plaster on imperfect rock, a small window with wooden frame and the cold air indicated an earthly lair.

Through exhaustion and stinging eyes, ne recognized this as the very same room ne'd been given by that old religious guy who ran the church with the statue.

"Hello?"

When nobody arrived, ne called out a little louder. Soon feet shuffled to the door and a familiar elderly face peeked in.

El Mugaro lit up. "Pastor, you're alive!"

Confused, Augistin stepped in. He carried a plate with meager food, which he set next to the bed. He himself remained standing at a respectful distance.

"I am quite surprised a holy being such as yourself would be aware of my state."

"You don't recognize me?" El Mugaro asked.

Augistin squinted a little. "You _are_ a little familiar ..."

El Mugaro brushed nur bangs aside, revealing the red eye.

"You're that lost child!"

El Mugaro nodded. The last the man would've seen of nur was a glow as ne jumped into the mist, who knew how he had interpreted that?

"That fallen angel brought you here," he said. "Are you captive?"

Yes, he definitely had a very traditional way of interpretation.

"No, he brought me here to rest," El Mugaro said. "Azazel's taken care of me without fail for the past two years, up until I was ... went to heaven. My mother is Jeanne d'Arc and Azazel is her friend now. Mother already is ..."

Was she, though? She hadn't really made that kind of plan as far as ne knew. Neither had the gods. Nobody wanted to be near Anatae.

But that wouldn't last long. There was no doubt that if nur mother would be a knight, she would come to liberate her home from tyranny.

"She'll come soon and heaven and hell get along better and ... " Speaking of that, ne sensed Adva and Tipa within the building. "Are there any demons here?"

"Yes, two whom arrived shortly that fallen angel. I think they're demons anyway? They were flying ..."

Right, something had to be done about that mist.

"Can you call them?"

It didn't take long before Augustin returned with Adva, who stayed at the door. "Ah, you're well. Please try to heal yourself soon, we're not sure whether that barrier comes down and we can only do so much with water."

Someone approached, and Adva cleared the door. A spindly man with glasses stepped in, carrying a bad under his arm and exhaustion everywhere else.

"I called in a doctor," Augustin said. "I'm uncertain how much a regular human can do for a god, but since the barrier went up, the vision through which I speak with heaven does not work anymore."

"Greetings, I'm John Oagburg," the man mumbled. "This is the—oh, it's you."

"You know him?" Augustin asked.

"This child was in the slums healing people. Humans and demons alike. I knew this one had magic, but divinity?"

"I'm as surprised as you are," Augustin said.

"I'm not, I've been aware since birth. I actually skipped three years so I could know stuff immediately."

"You ... skipped three years?"

El Mugaro filled them in on nur nature as a hybrid. Augustin was very impressed about nur being a child of Michael, while John's interest lay with the magic of nur healing. Mugaro had a lot more to say about the latter, which led the conversation to why nur passed out after using it. John theorized youth, and knew a little more on magic than ne would've expected.

"You worked with Rita, right?" El Mugaro asked.

John looked very caught for some reason. It took El Mugaro a moment to realize he must expect judgment because Rita's dark alliance.

"She's a friend of me, but I never had the chance to talk to her about healing because I'd lost my voice. Did she tell you anything? I have these ideas I want to try. There's vocal magic and visual magic, and this illusion mist is of her making and we have her bible. I think the mist uses the same magical template that I look at to see how people used to be, it's one of my tricks to make healing faster. But the king has Rita captive so I can't ask her, but I have to learn faster."

"Slow down, please," Augustin said. "It's hard to keep up with all this new information."

"You want to learn more? You could be my hallows!" Mugaro clapped nur hands together. "I can get you in touch with heavenly power and give you themed magic. You can figure out stuff from your angle yourself!"

"Uhm ... what? Like saints?"

"Like wards with demons, saints is an extra thing I think." Ne shoved the blankets off and almost tripped over nurself to get to the door. "Adva, please can you go to the ruined church on the hillside? There's a book there, the Black Bible. I think we're going to need it and your song too."

Adva looked up from a bowl of water with one of those, _really?_ looks.

"Please?"

"I'll have to hope you're going to pay me better, once there's more money, than your makeshift father does. Inventing new magic? Much more intense than cleaning duty."

"Azazel used you for cleaning duty? Well, I can't promise you a salary, but I'm pretty sure your magic will mean much more than that. Are you in?"

Adva smiled and called, "Tipa, darling, can you tell lady Belphegor we're considering a new position? And lady Malphas that we're done after the aquaduct."

Tipa peeked in from the kitchen, looking confused as Adva gestured at ElMugaro.

"If you will work for a god and human in one, I'd be honored," El Mugaro said.

"You have a deal."

 **· · · · · · ·**

After helping her human friends back to their houses, fixing a wall or two and kicking a few complainers in the right direction, Nina had but one plan now, and that was sleep. A plan foiled when Favaro tapped her on the shoulder and he had that look, the same when he'd dragged her out of bed because a bounty hunter needed to function even when tired. She guessed this wouldn't be about bounty hunting.

"Wanna talk about it?"

The thing with Chris?

No, because that hurt.

Yes, because she wanted someone to understand.

Favaro led her to a secluded spot, that lake where an old ruin stood half submerged. A hole in the earth above let the moonlight stream in. It was one of the few beautiful places here, more of a fairytale than the oppressive underground of the island.

They climbed up the ruins, as Favaro promised it had a dead sound spot. Little would carry as long as they kept quiet, and nobody would stand near to overhear.

Once they were both up, Favaro faced her. "Do you think you love him?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, as your teacher my job is to advise you on your road, not to decide for you. But look, if you absolutely _must_ snog a mass murderer, please take one who doesn't have us on his kill list."

"What is that supposed to mean? It's not like I have those lining up."

"I'm just saying even with your specific and questionable taste, you have options. I like being alive, Nina."

"If all you're going to do is tease me for this, you're a lousy teacher," she snapped.

Favaro held up his hands. "Sorry, but I'm in a kind of bind here too. Fate's made it clear I'm dispensable beyond small touches."

Favaro dangled a pendant before her, the very same Chris had bought in the slums. "This might've been for you. There's inspiration in my head pushing me to advice about love and fate. It's exactly like all my other little impulses, nothing unusual if I didn't have a clue."

Nina closed her fingers around the red tipped claw. Favaro looked unusually stern as she handled it.

"I can't teach you about love and villains, so I'll tell you about something as a friend instead : I had a choice once. Or rather, we had."

He gestured behind her, where astral Amira drifted below the moonlight, formed like a heavenly woman with the wings to match. An intricate light glowed on her chest, from which power sprang that went everywhere and nowhere.

"That little pendant is designed to resemble the barb of Bahamut, my fated weapon to banish the monster. We found it in a sub dimension where a dragon had been bound by it, and only I could remove it. That dragon offered us an option though : Amira could remain forever in that subdimension, to never reach Bahamut. I took the barb and made vows about how we'd change fate ... that turned out to play exactly into fate. She would have stayed there for the sake of the world if I had not convinced her otherwise. The moment we left, our choice was gone.

I did not fret about the past, until Amira's return made me do so. I went back over everything and thought, why didn't I ask Amira for a description of her mother, tell her to stay there and go just with Kaisar? She might've given me the pendant that enforced her false memories and realized the truth, either then or later. Regardless, she would not be in the grip of Belzebuth and Gilles de Rais.

But I had another choice before that. See, my personality isn't fate molded. It was so inconvenient for fate that it had to arrange a horse to act really weird. I guess I was the best it could find. That might be true for Charioce too."

"You're nothing like him! He's much more sophisticated than you!" she huffed, before catching herself. Was it fate making her think this way, or just herself? Quick, she added, "And you're not a bad guy either."

Favaro grinned in a way somehow sad.

"When it comes to naive pink haired girls with connections to dragons and bad guys ... I've been there. I've been the bad guy. When I first met Amira, I got her drunk so it was easier to stab her to death. That failing, I sold her out to the knights expecting them to kill her. Amira never found out. That image she has of me isn't who I really am. If she ever returns, I'll tell her everything. She deserves to know the truth after all the lies that defined her. If she still wants me to show the world to her I will, if she doesn't I will leave."

Amira leaned closer to them, still unable to hear him, but Nina would bet she noticed he looked sad.

"What if that that choice causes more sadness?" Nina asked, careful to avoid being specific.

"Then I'll hope she'll accept it in time. She deserves to have a choice," Favaro said. "But you're not really asking about her, are you?"

Nina pressed her lips together.

"You don't mean _enough_ to him to make him stop, or he'd have announced a pardon already. He can get away with anything. Right now, no other entity in the world has as much power as he does and his personality is his own. He's keeping even Bahamut a secret when he should unite the world against it. Maybe you can't stop loving him, but you can kill your hope."

Stiffly, Nina nodded.

From behind, glowing arms surrounded her in the semblance of an embrace. "What's Fava saying that makes you so sad?"

Amira's power so close resonated with her own magic, setting the root of her wings aglow, but she kept them in.

"Just that I've got to work on not hoping for him, so we can have hope for you."

"That's not really what I was going for," Favaro started.

"It is though, and it's okay. I'll help you get your friend free." Nina turned back to Amira. "You know, I don't think I've personally said hello to you, so hello! The world is a mess, but I'll try. If I find a way, I'll go up the stairway and ask to bring you down."

Amira looked so confused, Nina added, "Chris mentioned something about a legend, of this god Kṛiṣṇa on his chariot who had to abandon his compassion for the greater good. That's his story, I'll follow my own. Maybe I'll find you at the end and you'll have two friends when you reenter the world."

Amira smiled at last, looking happy in a way that did not have to be called angelic, demons could look so just as well. "I look forward to it."

"So do I."

Nina had once felt she was a monster, or least a failure. She wanted someone to bring out the true her from within the monster without the leaving the monster behind. Before she had never wanted to be a dragon again, she wanted to be both. The way Amira so effortlessly was both god and devil. Playing both fields.

"Teacher, can you give me that pendant? If we want to change fate, we need to interact with it."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Merlin stepped through her gate with poise exactly until she was out of human sight, then she sat down on the moss. Gate casting took a horrid amount of concentration that her human half could not handle well, she needed to invoke her despicable demon heritage.

Once well, she walked.

The lush forest lay peaceful before her. She whistled as she wandered, pleased to have a moment without the need to appear regal. Her staff she tapped against the wood until she found a weakness in the walls of the world. Her whistle turned to spell, and her breath to smoke as she turned space in on itself, borrowing power from fate's winds itself.

He was not here right away, but found her soon : a massive dragon overgrown with plantlife.

He was an ancient dragon of the forest, noted only briefly in the records of Anatae by Favaro Leone and Kaisar Lidfard. This one had turned up in Lao's research in the library, after she'd tried explaining him about fate. He'd sought indications to loosen the kingdom's lenience to dragons and found it. Charioce had approved of bringing in more dragons, so here she was. The find was satisfying, but also worrisome, for this was a demonic dragon.

"Who are you that you were able to enter here by yourself?" he rumbled as he leaned over a thick tree root. She felt small, not in power but under the weight of eons.

"I am the servant of fate, the prophet Merlin. Fate's hand favors me," she said. "That is all I am."

"Does it now, are you this? I have not met a prophet to the fate before. Unlike the recent pawns, do you understand how you walk?"

"To the best of my abilities," Merlin said. "I stand here on behalf of the holy knight prophecied, he who shall stop Bahamut's path of destruction."

"Bahamut has come to the worlds countless times," the dragon said. "Never once has it been defeated, for it can reform at will. A soul whom the pull of the afterlife has no regard for, ichor perfect at its command. One can only hope to exile it, if you twist that to mean an absence to the sight."

"The holy knight shall seal it with utmost perfection." She brushed her fingers across the tip of her staff to project the image of him, of Dromos and at last, of a girl with pink hair. "I suspect that he may have a counterpart, two bodies to the role of Kṛiṣṇa. Chris already in place, but Nina takes her time to come aboard the chariot. She is hung up on sympathy for the worst of demons even though she and her kind have turned their back on hell. The king hopes to make it easier for her to step forth, rather than be an outcast in the world he created, and ... well ..."

"Well what?"

"Until she does, he has a death sentence on her head." Merlin sighed. "It's incredibly inconvenient, truly. Fate can be thwarted and he does not understand he himself might be a cause for this."

Unfazed, the dragon said, "Fate loves its stories of sacrifice, indeed."

Was that a hint of demonic malice she detected? It had to be, right? Why mock fate's wisdom?

"You are under the umbrella of the demon clan, yet you exist in harmony nature?" Merlin asked. "I must say, these are my own reasons for seeking you out. I cannot understand you."

"You are half demon too, and yet you're not laying waste to the world around you."

"That part of me was purified a long time ago."

The dragon laughed. "You cannot rid yourself of the blood that gives you life, not without dying. You only deny the shadows, the very same force I may freely use to play my part in nature."

"Then perhaps I have something to learn, or redefine at least. If not for the king, then for the sake of balance in the world, would you come with me?"

"To meet this missingparticle? Let's see ... yes. Why not? I will observe up close for once. You might not like what I tell her though."

 **· · · · · · ·**


	19. Nepsis

**· · · · · · ·**

 **September 22**

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Should you be doing this when that barrier can come down any time?" Trismegistus asked.

" _This roof_ can come down any time and I need to see what they were doing here before that happens," she said. "Besides, Favaro is much better equipped to notice anything."

With a sigh, Trismegistus set her hands on the walls, exerting her power to stabilize the fragile structure. Azazel really had done a number on the amphitheater. Belphegor understood well enough — there were a few places in the red light district she'd tear down if they still were whole — but it would have been good if she'd first gotten a better look at this place. There hadn't been time between seeing it and getting the Smaragd Guard in, but after what Olivia had said it was more urgent. Belphegor was almost certain the strange set up was related to something to Olivia's tests.

So she salvaged what she could from about five rooms : pipes, countless magic rocks, boxes full of still living amputated human parts, countless broken vessels with fluids spilled on the ground. She'd have called for Adva and Tipa to help there, but they were busy with Mugaro's healing project. Kolraun was with her though, having an idea to let some of his plants absorb it.

The stored human parts ranged from whole arms to single eyes. Rocky came to mind, and the still unsolved mystery of him absorbing a zommorod and attaching to Kaisar, and the shards embedded in the Smaragd Guard. The phenomenon was unique to those two cases, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out what she'd done that was similar as on the island. Pure spells weren't her forte, without elements Trismegistus was out of her element. Still, something was up and they were the only scientists around. Trismegistus pulled up an empty canister, which once had iron wires through the center. Belphegor poking at it with her claws got a most interesting response : a flicker of a lined vision field dissolving into an intangible system.

"Lots of magic in the matter around here," Trismegistus said as she warped the stones below her boots. "Works well with your type too."

"It's a nexus apart from Angra Mainyu," Belphegor said. "The instruments measure and I bet whatever I'm the matron demon of can sort that out."

"Innovation," Trismegistus muttered. "That's what changed from when I had a pact with Azazel. It was ... what ... do you sense something?"

Belphegor nodded, and it wasn't a new sensation.

A flicker and sharp pressure in her mind later, unfolding against the darkest wall was the demon who had visited her before. Now she knew it was Angra Mainyu.

Trismegistus backed away. Belphegor herself could not fight the unease of the demon's presence. Eyeless, but she felt exposed like no other time.

"You want to have it, don't you? It is yours," Angra Mainyu gestured her wide claws at the room, while the walls stabilized and mended.

Cautious, Belphegor nodded. "So ... will you tell me what I am inheriting?"

"A test of the limits of the system," she said. "Our unfortunate heritage, but let me cut to the chase : you understand what a key is, and you understand what a code is."

"Is that all you can tell me?"

"I find that if we are too clear on our intent, fate gets in the way."

"We?"

Angray Mainyu answered by vanishing.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The butcher shop lay empty and broken under the last remains of the sun; had the opposite buildings not broken down it'd be in shadow.

Supporting Burkhart on one shoulder and a bag in her other hand, Nina held the door open with her foot. They'd gotten some first aid, and Nina had argued before the haphazardly formed new court that they hadn't owned slaves or been involved with the business, so now she brought them home.

The house was broken from the war still and vandalized by Olivia's demons. All the meat was gone, because there was no stench of rot or salt.

"I don't understand why we can't just go to the upper ring," Emelina muttered as she sat down at the kitchen table.

Arguing that they were necesary symbolic hostages didn't sound so sound anymore right here, so she just said, "They'd just stuff you in a charity home, right?"

"Hmmmph. None of this would've happened if not for those damn demons."

Sadly, Nina looked at them. "Hate Olivia all you want. But please know, she isn't the face of all the demons in the world. Not all demons damned you."

"Do you know how much we suffered since that Olivia took over?" Burkhart sputtered. "The king would have every right to take back his city!"

"That's not what I —Do you know how much I and Jeanne and Mugaro have suffered from humans? Should I hold you responsible for what Charioce did to us?" she growled.

The sound made Burkhart shut up, and join Emeline in all but cowering.

"Sorry. I know you were in a lot of pain from Olivia, but it isn't the same as with the demons all across the country now," Nina said, turning her eyes down and reigning in her voice. "Just ... rest a bit."

Nina straightened the table. "Soon, Malphas will go to work on the above ground city too, but I think I can fix this tonight."

Without waiting for a reply, Nina gathered up some rubble and stacked it into the hole. Strength didn't make her an architect, so she covered the inside with a few curtains. That should keep most of the draft out.

All along Emeline sat at the table, while Burkhart hovered nervously over a pot of boiling water. They didn't touch the bag of food Nina had brought, so once she was done she unpacked it herself.

"I don't really know how to cook these so let's just make soup," she said with a smile, secretly too tired anyway for anything more complicated.

After a while of stirring in silence, Emeline asked, "So ... what are you, a dragon or a demon?"

"You know how not all gods are angels? There's even gods who look entirely human. The same way, not all demons are dragons, but all dragons are either gods or demons cause they're made of ichor. I just happen to be a demonic one. I'm not really sure what the tribe distinction does, or how it's got to do with light and dark magic. I think there's nature magic too?"

She leaned over, considering whether she could fire up the pot with breath, and decided against it. Too experimental, too broken a house, too scared its inhabitants. She filled two bowls for them before heading to the door.

There she hesitated to say, "Can I come around again?"

They didn't answer. Emeline might've muttered a yes, but Nina left without finding out.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **September 23**

 **· · · · · · ·**

When Belphegor woke early she left to patrol, but in truth, she wanted to see.

The morning after Olivia's fall brought the first quiet to the city in years. Rita's mist still muffled all sound, but that which broke it weren't cries of pained humans or fearful demons. Those with wings began to dare flying out of the slums. Divesepid went around to reanimate corpses for labor. Songs rose from the garden tenders.

The highest end of the castle loomed over the mist, but was removed far enough to be a distant threat rather that a constant reminder of pain. If Angra Mainyu lowered that barrier, this peace would be over. If they learned to dig below it or find the Lidfard mansion, it would be over. A bitter fact she could not escape, but tried to ignore, because for one moment she could believe in demons living in peace from both humans and dark lords.

That impression left Belphegor the moment she joined up with her comrades in a food hall and informed them that yes, Azazel had officially taken over.

"Wonderful, another monster from the upper echelon," Durahanem said. "I was willing to follow Dante because he was one of us, and put up with Azazel and Cerberus because we needed their power. To have them actually lead us? No way. Why don't _you_ do it? They respect you."

It hit Belphegor like a brick there had been no form of victory celebration, followed right away with an avalanche of _they wanted her to do what_?

"I can't just go found a new court!" she sputtered. "Besides, what's wrong with Azazel?"

All four exchanged a weary glance before Durahanem said, "So he was the rag demon all along. Don't you think some of us suspected? Do you know what he was like all the time in the slums? The pride of the demons this, the pride of the demons that. He never stopped to talk to us, you know."

"He did start doing that recently," Adva said. "But we'd rather have you, who's led us better, and who doesn't have a history of being a most stereotypical devil with all the bloodshed that implies."

Belphegor's hands automatically went to her pockets, fidgetting with the tools in there. "I'm not really good at anything like community management. I'm an _inventor_."

"You were the one who took us in," Kolraun whispered. "You haven't treated us like you own us, and we don't have to be afraid of what you'll do if we displease you, which appears really hard to make happen."

"We just want a choice for once," Durahanem said. "They don't care about us, while you're so mad that you even care about humans. We need leaders who break the mold. One start. One way."

"I'm not good at any of that," Belphegor blurted out. "I'm just a scientist."

"You'll be good enough," Kolraun said. "Please. _We're_ not powerful enough, and you are. Besides, you're on good terms with Azazel and Cerberus. They won't stop you, right?"

Adva put a hand on her arm. "Please? Haven't you spent enough centuries sciencing around? Just help us on your way so we can leave the bowels of hell like you can."

It wasn't an outright accusation, but it was right. She'd left hell alone to entertain herself, progress for herself, and aid humans while leaving demons untouched. Demons had never felt like her own people, but they were.

She took Durahanem's hovering hand, closing her claws around it in a vow. "You can rely on me to my best efforts."

 _Oh chaos, how am I going to do this?_

 **· · · · · · ·**

When Azazel returned to the church, it hummed with magic and song. Floating up to a broken window, he peaked in without disturbing; Mugaro might sense him but others would not.

Mugaro was at the chancel with Adva and Tipa, nur three friends hovering around. Two wrinkly men hunched on the floor in front of them, adjusting the markings on a circle using — was that the black bible? The priest kept a far distance from it, which lay on the eager doctor's lap. What kind of project was this?

Someone skitted to a halt behind him, he didn't need to turn to know it was Nina.

"What are you doing up there?" she asked.

"Watching. Last time I was here the priest fell to his knees in prayer and stayed that way till I left." He chuckled. "Typical clergy."

Nina was already at the door, yelling inside, "Hey everyone!"

"Nina!" Mugaro flew to her, hands spread wide; the mist moved a little closer. "Look, I can use the mist to see more! It can carry my voice, so people don't need to be in range of sight anymore to be healed."

"That's awesome!" she said before facing the priest. "You can skip the prayers for salvation from Azazel, Mugaro likes his dad."

"Say what now?"

Mugaro gestured at Azazel to come in. Fine, whatever. He teleported beyond the wall, where Mugaro happily flew up to him. Beyond nur, the doctor looked excited while the priest fought a desperately battle against his buckling knees.

"Azazel, will you teach me how to make a pact? Please?" Mugaro asked.

He just frowned at the abrupt request.

"People in the upper district don't have any doctors," Mugaro said.

"They'll bring in new ones. We won't stop them."

"It's not enough, Azazel," Mugaro weedled. "Please? You couldn't stand by as anyone died either, right? I'm not some porcelain thing, but if I have wards I can leave some things to others."

Mugaro with a pleading voice was worse than when it was just the sad eyes, one hidden behind bangs. So much worse.

"Clear the space," he said, which meant Mugaro would move the black bible and Azazel would move all the wooden benches to the side. After that, Azazel beat his wings to clear the mist.

Azazel stood before Mugaro. "A pact needs the human to agree, it cannot be forced. You start by linking your power to the humans using the eye of the soul, which is on the forehead. You won't be able to make a saint just like that; those draw on your personal power. You can make a hallow, who borrow from heaven's general force. They're less strong, but more efficient for your limits."

The priest looked afronted when told Azazel needed a demonstration subject for a demonic pact, but the doctor jumped at the chance. Literary, right into the boost circle Azazel carved in the floor.

He turned his hand over, made the pact, and turned to Mugaro.

"Oh, I see!"

"It'll take a few tries before you get a feel for it."

"No, I _literary_ see! There's this change in the structure, like you borrow something. Oh, wish I could show you."

He smiled. "Some other time, you can describe it to me and I'll draw it. For now, try replicating it."

"Alright."

He snapped the pact out of existence and made room for Mugaro. Favaro was proof contracts could stack, but he wasn't about to experiment how that worked with holy and curse types.

It did take Mugaro a few tries, and some adjustment on where to place nur finger on the forehead, but ne still was indeed much swifter than Azazel had been. The ability to see magical affect really helped, apparently.

From Mugaro the pacts were just basic stuff : borrowed power that expressed itself only through the voice and eyes, with none of the traits Mugaro had learned, or even so much as telekinesis or flight. It would take longer to learn to convey specific things, something which Azazel admittedly wasn't the best at either. What he could do was either something picked up from a pattern by Trismegistus, blasts, or summoning beasts, none of which would benefit Mugaro's powers anyway.

The doctor awed at the new sight of the world, and to Mugaro's surprise much of what ne had taken for granted wasn't visible to others. Azazel stepped back from that conversation, putting himself to another task.

Scratching an old fashioned spell circle in the floor, he began to craft a new ocarina for Mugaro. The old one had been an instrument he'd enchanted, having no personal experience in what made an instrument work, but he had that memorized now. Nina came to sit by, hovering her hands near the circle with an intent frown. Trying to get a feel for this?

"If you're so into learning now, join Belphegor," he said.

"Nah, she's busy," Nina said, though her hands faltered. "Or do I bother you?"

What? No. "You can't replicate this magic, Belphegor might figure out something better for you. Why anyway?"

"Why learn? I missed a lot of time to learn anything. I'm starting to remember things from my dragon years, you know. It's so much of the same once I learned how to hunt. Eat, sleep, fight, flee, until I ran into a dragon who came to take me home. When I returned home and forgot the details, I still knew all that. While other kids could ask favors from the spirits, I knew how to track deer ... it wasn't just that I couldn't play as a dragon that left me behind."

"Is that why you started dancing?" he asked.

Nina nodded. "I'm pretty sure I'd like it for its own thing though. At least, I did. It was ... never mind."

A wall existed between her life in both forms. There was less of a difference between her human and beast self, than between Azazel and his heartless state, yet he'd only ever been one. She had raised this wall herself by living for control everywhere but where it should be. What did that leave her?

"You can dance?" Mugaro asked. "Next time me and the water girls make music, please dance with us!"

Nina shook her head. "I don't care for dancing anymore."

"But you had a whole dance performance thing in heaven," Mugaro said, already leaning into dejection.

"I had to bring the gods together, but that didn't really work so well, did it?" The unspoken lay thick in the air.

"That wasn't even your dancing partners," Mugaro said. "Don't let Odin ruin something you loved, okay?"

"Maybe when I can fly better, I'll learn to dance in the air, okay?"

Nina's fear of telling Mugaro the truth was absurd to Azazel. What did she expect Mugaro to do but look very sad? Not that he'd figured out how to tell Mugaro in his own words.

"I'll make music for you when I can sing better," Mugaro said. "My breath carries magic and the mist can carry my voice, it'll be even better once we have more control."

"You can start with what you already know," Azazel said. "Try getting your hallows to

Kicking some rubble away, he carved another boost circle. Embarassingly, he needed these for complex magic. His darkness dissolved upon the loss of his focus, unless he cast a special spell to solidify it. From this circle he forged an ocarina; the former had been build upon an existing one, but he could go by memory well enough now.

Silent he handed it to Mugaro, who gratefully took it.

As Adva and Tipa got ready to join in with voice and lyre, the priest asked, "Won't that conflict with the holy magic?"

"No, not at all," Mugaro said.

The three of them climbed onto the quire, where Mugaro set the tune of nur favorite melody. After catching on, Adva and Tipa joined in. The mists outside had become so thick, it should muffle the sound, yet this brought it to every corner. Adva and Tipa never would have heard a heavenly choir in their life, but their sound rivaled it. Or in other words, heaven wasn't that exalted. Others had merely been burried under the rocks.

Azazel pulled one of the benches away from the wall pile and sat down. Nina yawned as she sat next to him, claiming his arm to lean against.

"Still tired from yesterday?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "But I didn't go out cold, so it's not that bad. You know, that's a good thing that did come from heaven. Mugaro and everything new can do now, right?"

"... yes."

A child of godly and human blood atuned to demonic song, how ridiculous, and so was that he wanted nothing more than simply be here. Before Mugaro had joined him he'd killed the hours with pacing. Now, he could let down his guard long enough — the barrier remained, Mugaro would sense anyone dangerous approaching,

Arai found paper and asked Azazel for a feather to write with, which he gave, and the child turned the melody to notes. Kiprio pulled some curtains close to sleep on the ground, helped by Siem before she joined Arai. Nina fell asleep next to him. There still was a nagging little piece of pride demanding he not be anyone's pillow when he didn't have to be, but he quieted that in the same way as all the others time it'd spoken. Centuries old, but if it took mere years to wittle down this kind of pride wasn't all that worth keeping.

He wasn't supposed to consider anything to be right until his people were freed, their pride restored. But right now, things were well enough to matter. The centuries gone by were a meaningless blur he'd always rushed through, desperate to always be busy, never to be bored and find himself alone with his thoughts. All that grinded to a painful halt with the fall of Cocytus, his endless restlessness sending him into the lair of the enemy. Sworn to never rest until Charioce's downfall.

He _would_ see his downfall, but it wasn't painful anymore to rest. It was safe enough, at this time, to just close his eyes and listen

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita had a regular work schedule, its interuption rare, so it stood out that today she was brought to the secret mom zone at midnight.

After she had set up a monitor display and magicians had cast barriers, a few demonic knights dragged in a shrivelled deer demon thing with its wings tied up. It could barely walk on its small hind legs. Its antlers knocked things off a nearby table.

The demonic knights were flanked by human knights, who all kept their—Huh, wasn't that Nishaol? How had she gotten here?

Oh well.

They pinned down the demon in an empty room next to the one where Charioce's mother had her loom. Rita was to ascertain whether his magic to tap into mortal minds and subtract fears and facts would be useful to monitor the progress of zombie mom.

"So what exactly are you?" Rita asked just to be congenial.

"I am hope and despair," he said.

Tough case, talking like that. While she subtracted blood, cast a few stat spells and went on, she questioned him. He was chatty due to fear and a desire to tempt her into helping him escape. She feigned interest and needled for more information, which he provided in an ancient language that sounded mostly like grumbles; the supervisor wouldn't know it even was language.

A weak demon who ate souls and thrived on despair. Olivia and Angra Mainyu found him and taught him to think differently, so he was both hope and despair. Demonic in nature, but capable of aligning with divine magic just a little to draw upon soul magic. This dissolved into rambling on themes, how demons should be about more than fear the way gods were about more than faith. Angra Mainyu had a plan, a goal to learn more, and Furfur hoped for a world of despair at the end of it. Hope only was a thing when there was distress, after all. Olivia had already gotten a lot of nice tricks, which he promised to teach her if she helped him escape.

He had such a trivial desire, Rita let him ramble on while analyzing his nature. A few hours of that had her conclude he did indeed draw on divine power to some extent. He used it for something Rita found awfully similar to what Gilles de Rais had invoked for his unique pacts. Unlike Gilles, no potion was involved. He probably really did eat souls.

How lovely. Charioce just handed her the blind spot she didn't know she had. She controlled bodies, this thing existed on the level of souls. Bodies did not need souls to function, and souls were something she hadn't yet had the chance to poke at. She wanted to, but of course, there was no doing that without giving Charioce the information.

"Do you want to possess me?" she asked. "In the most literal way. Hop over your soul? I can't break you out physically."

"Would you? You are a monster on yourself, but do you know what you're doing with hell?"

"I have a hunch."

She left the room to tell the supervisor, "I can't glean anything more from it if my current tests show up nothing. It uses illusions similar to my mist curse, which as you know I cannot actually control. Let me zombify him and I'll see what I can make him do."

After some consulting, she was told she could, but only the old fashioned way. She prepared some control circles in lieu of her staff, knelt at Furfur's side, and bit his wing before he fully understood.

Zombification set in, it was the typical stuff except for the holy feathers falling off. She stored them under a label for illusion testing, which she had no intention to ever pursue since it was bogus. The label was just to annoy whomever would be tasked with figuring out the illusion thing in her stead.

Zombie Furfur did as told, and when provided with a hapless victim was able to instill some basic mental haunting. Nothing fancy, but Rita tried to stretch it out since her real goal was taking a hold onto what lay in the hidden meaning of her spell circle.

Her first captured soul. The problem was preventing him from moving on and making him settle in a small marble in her limited tool kit. The thing in itself was just a reading thing quickly refurnished, but it'd have to do. With some luck, Furfur would be desperate enough to cooperate.

The door slammed open, and in came a strong competitor to most lifeless zombie face : Charioce XVII.

"Any progress?"

"I learned some nice things about souls, but have to go through a number of tests before I work with your dearly beloved corpse," Rita said. "Wouldn't want to mess her up when we have only one sample. Or worse for me, I revive her in a way you don't want?"

At this, he waved off the supervisor.

"If you cannot, I have little more use for you, unless you bring anything new to the table."

"The way you want, fool. I'm sure I will find a way, but you may have expectations on your mother that can't be met. How will she respond finding out you are the king now? Do you even know what she missed about the castle? The rich life? The man? The security? If you don't, how will you tell whether she is alive at all?"

"Some changes are to be expected."

"Oh? Well, it supposed it won't matter much is I bring her back wrong. You already have everything skewed here. Nobody acts like themselves when they fear you so much," Rita said. "I used magical compulsion, you use political compulsion, who cares? The end result is the same : a city of the dead."

"You sound as if you'd like to get philosophical, but don't want to put forth a thesis," Charioce said. "What do you angle for? Mine? A challenge? Entertainment?"

"Kinship," Rita said. "My current friend circle only has one mass murderer and he's abstaining lately."

Charioce turned back to her. "I have a higher goal than a mere doctor such as you, who keeps her mortal pets for her own sake, could ever comprehend."

"Ah but you see, I can grasp any view point I want. What you really mean is that I can't _feel_ it, and therefore not _live_ it, and that makes you superior, doesn't it?"

"I live to die a hero, you survive for life's sake with no aspiration," he said.

"And I'm going to live forever, while you'll be _nothing_."

"There will be nowhere for you to live, if not for me."

"You'll be forgotten in time," she said.

"That does not matter."

"Like you don't matter."

"You can say what you want, I only live for my purpose and I will meet it. You have only words where I have all the power the world can offer."

Live in the moment, except to die in a blazeof glory, dress it up with only words. Of all the dangerous things Rita had played with, this one could be the best yet. He did have all that power, and would happily die with it under his fingers. How could she rob him of it? Make him the final corpse of his reign, just to see whether she could?

The demon's soul finished transferring.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne was already up and about by dawn, but not outside yet. Sofiel knocked to enter, which was met with a soft "Come in".

"Good morning, Jeanne. Have you slept well?"

"As well as I might." Jeanne was already dressed, Sofiel hoped she hadn't been up all night.

The unicorn laid vun head on Jeanne's lap, but Jeanne did not respond with the usual affection. A small test, to see whether she was compelled or inspired. Doubt in the divine ran strong in Jeanne lately.

"I do not believe the unicorn means any harm," Sofiel said. "At least, if my skill at reading relations is any indication. Perhaps it is not, if it is magic."

"It is not harm, but control that I fear," Jeanne said as she stood to seclude herself by the window. Sofiel considered approaching, but Jeanne spoke after a few moments.

"It falls together with knowing I was possessed and knowing heaven used me after all. The memories of killing lord Michael ... it's still there, changing from dread at myself to dread at losing control. At the same time, the more I learn of heaven the more I realize that Martinet did not lie when he told me gods have no personal love for humans."

The unicorn nudged her in the back. Careful, Jeanne ran her hand through the unicorn's mane, until she reached the glowing green horn. Her fingers hovered over it without touching it. "So I must be wiser what I have faith in."

"Is that why you limit yourself to small matters? You don't trust us?" Sofiel asked.

Almost apologetic, Jeanne looked at Sofiel. "Of course I trust you, lady Sofiel."

"I meant your goals. You free demons and preach to noblemen, when you _could_ be a greater saint," Sofiel said. "Yet you run from heaven."

"My weariness over the unicorn is new, my caution is older. It is more complicated than I expected," Jeanne said. "I'm being careful to not overshoot. What good am I as a distant symbol when there are people dying?"

Oh, right. Admittedly, Sofiel still had trouble counting demons among people who deserved protection.

She was about to suggest Jeanne expand a little when someone appeared behind her.

"Hey, let me pass?" That'd be Arligau. How an ordinary cook became a leader was beyond Sofiel, but well, sometimes the world was nonsensical.

Sofiel stepped into the room, allowing Arligau to enter. With no regard ve sat down _on_ the unicorn, who didn't seem to mind. "Sorry, back's old and been up all night and this critter radiates healing or something."

Ve held out a few papers to Jeanne, ownership forms and laws as far as Sofiel could see.

"Are you not spooked by the unicorn's actions with Coco?" she asked Arligau.

"So unicorns are weird, who cares. You're going to Gramgarz or whatever it's called, right?"

Jeanne nodded, at which Arligau directed her attention to two specific papers.

"There's a bunch of escaped slaves there who wanna join us," ve said. "Can you smuggle them here?"

"I will try."

Sofiel waited while Arligau and Jeanne went over details of location, numbers and routes. Perhaps Michael floated around here too, feeling just as aimless.

"Can you arrange transport for them, lady Sofiel?" Jeanne asked once all was settled.

"Of course. I have a few personal ships at my disposal. Be careful," Sofiel said.

Jeanne briefly touched her hand, before turning to the unicorn and its new gate. Sofiel waited until they were gone before she opened her own.

Heaven's nexus was crowded with gods lately. On her way to the palace, she passed Reinier organizing military equipment.

She flew across the city without escort, noting a few changes. One, not quite a protests, but there were numerous public gatherings and speeches. Bacchus was on a public platform too, very loudly telling embarassing versions of Odin's heroic stories. He laid it on thick, mentioning the good times of getting drunk together a lot. She did not contact him to avoid arousing suspicion, but planned to get in touch with Hamsa later.

And then ... what? Dim plans for a new alliance to account for Bahamut's arrival lay untouched yet in the back of her mind. They didn't even know when that would be.

When she arrived in the palace, she was summoned to Gabriel's golden lake at once.

"What were you?" Gabriel demanded before the doors were closed.

"On earth, lady Gabriel," Sofiel said, while having a look around. "I was with Jeanne d'Arc to assist her."

"And you did not bring her back? She is out of bounds, making promises without consulting us. How are humans to regain faith in us when she sets us up as _trading partners_? This must end, _Sofiel_."

Sofiel took a deep breath almost spoke her mind — that it should not, that there had to be a coalition between the tribes — but courage did not find her. "Surely you heard of the unicorn's favor? I have no desire to defy such a creature. Even its ability to form gates alone is superior to mine, ve would simply retrieve Jeanne if we were to try imprisoning her."

"That can be dealt with, but there is something else you must do first," Gabriel said. "Remove Qhispe from heaven. Quietly, and unseen. The gate for your departure is already gearing up, it should be done soon."

"I can finish it right away," Sofiel said.

"How so?"

"It's been easier lately," Sofiel said. "Perhaps it is the time I spend near the unicorn."

"That is not how it works," Gabriel said.

"Then I do not know."

The way Gabriel beheld her didn't feel right at all, a kind of skepticism that bode trouble.

Beyond Gabriel was Qhispe, floating on a platform at the edge of the lake; under Gabriel's strict supervision.

Qhispe didn't look so friendly either..

"I need a gate to my home that the gods cannot track," Qhispe said. "So how about you bring me to the ... can I get a map?"

She received the map, pointed out a mountain range, and Sofiel brought her there.

A nexus lay here, where Qhispe drew a summoning circle on the ground. It took a long time of waiting and repeated invocations before a gate flared away. Four humans appeared, shining with the magic of other realms : three wards and one hallow.

"Who ...?"

"Old friends," Qhispe said. "Though they send me new faces today. Bunch of folk who went undercover, forgotten by their demons or gods."

A man who appeared young but wore clothing from too long ago nodded. "Qhispe, right? What favor can we do you today?"

Sofiel itched to know why they owed Qhispe favors as a group, but it wasn't tactical to ask.

"I need a gate to my home that the gods cannot track," Qhispe told them. At their weary glances at Sofiel, she added, "This one's okay enough to bring me here, but to be safe, just work over there and shield it ."

"Understood. It'll be done soon," he said.

Qhispe turned full form, blocking the nexus area from both Sofiel's sight and her magical senses. Lowering her head to the ground, she spoke as soft as she could, "I do not like what heaven is becoming, young lady. You can expect to fall apart soon, you know. It's happened before."

It still wasn't sight, but Sofiel detected of the animosity towards hell now similar to how she felt about heaven. Qhispe's tribe had been part of hell once, so ... "Why did you split from hell?"

Qhispe chuckled. "You're the first god to ask that. Alright, you did come to Nina's aid, I suppose I owe you a little. It isn't just hell the place we freed ourselves from. _That_ we simply left behind. You must know that long ago, it was dragons who were the image of terror, not your run of the mill bat winged demon. Dragons who rose from the bowels of the earth, burning like its heart, and humans feared those who could feign to be another creature the most. When the light started and armies of mooks turned to dragons, they lost their hope. _That_ is what we freed ourselves from. We never became gods, we did not need to. We have nothing to prove to the world, only to ourselves. Gabriel understood that once, it is a shame she no longer does."

"I think she's just ... balancing a difficult time," Sofiel tried.

"She's balancing the wrong way. If she becomes too much like the first queen, we'll be enemies, young lady. You know, Arbiter Mortis has murdered over lesser impurity than ours," Qhispe said. "Oh, do I remember that. It is because of her, creatures built for the wide open sky retreated to the halls of hell. It is because of her, earth is populated by only humans, so easy to shepherd for her, and all that she needed to sustain heaven's power. Hell was the only place she did not rule. Mind you : if heaven does come to the point where we cannot live here anymore, we will not be eager to return there. We already hide so much about ourselves for the sake of living in peace."

Sofiel left her there before she had fully finished speaking, unable to bear any more foul words on holy heaven.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus had reclaimed her old home and after a heavy redecorating, it was a lot more papery. When Azazel entered, walking meant to either knock over piles or move them. Too degrading, so he teleported to the center, where Cerberus and Borashne lay on wide sofas peering over arcane word crap.

"Where's your fluffy attachments?" Cerberus asked.

"Asleep or socializing," he said, quietly accepting the screaming demise of his dark pride. Not demonic pride. That was a different thing.

"Ah ha," Cerberus said, shoving a bottle of wine to him across the coffee table. "Sooooo what are we going to do with all these _humans_ we have now?"

"We need Jeanne as an ally, there's no use in antagonizing her. I expect her to live up to her reputation of justice, let her handle them" He shoved a pile of papers off a third couch and sat down, ignoring Borashne's protests. The wine bottle was all he needed.

"I will bet you someone as noble as her is not gonna like that you're keeping hostages, especially when we've got a food problem. The Red Troupe has a few people they'd like to see. Friends and so on. Doctors especially."

"Do whatever you like."

Irritated, she flicked her ears. "If you're gonna be a figurehead, you should at least try to be more involved. What, can't function without a peacock throne? We can make you a new one."

"I don't need a throne, but from the sound of it you do. Probably something _shiny_."

She outright cringed. "You heard the talk? I'm the so called patron demon of community?"

"Matron," Azazel said. "Patron is the male variant. Woman is matron, dwoe is natron, innuw is zatron."

"Sure. What does this mean for me? There's more gods with specialties than there are demons, what's up with that?"

"I wasn't a tutelary deity," he said. "I was a Watcher, it wasn't important for us to learn more than the knowledge we were made with."

"Oh come on, you have to know something!" she weedled. "Am I going to go holy? Is there going to be a transformation? Do I have to live in heaven?"

"We have war gods. Don't worry, you're not going anywhere."

"Okay, good."

She sat back and downed a pint of beer Borashne handed her; judging from the empty bottles Cerberus had taken to his coping method.

"But why the hell did this happen? I didn't exactly get up and decide today I'm gonna learn to care for people! What in all hells! I doesn't make sense!"

"You're three dogs on one soul and you're making it work, deal with it on your own."

"But this is a matter of life and death ... in a way. I mean, what if I'm rejected by lord Lucifer? What if I manifest more weird powers?"

Azazel made sure she saw him rolling his eyes. "Whose child did I adopt again? Come complain when you have a _real_ problem."

"Hmmph. Well, can you at least focus on the local problems?"

He was sitting here so why bother affirming? Stupid dog.

The door opened and closed. It was Belphegor's scent that told him who it was; nowadays she always smelled like chemicals, metal and earth.

Azazel hadn't seen her around since the arena, and apparently neither had Cerberus, who looked like she expected pain. She got it. Belphegor dropped on her couch with one knee, taking Cerberus's puppetless hand.

"You were amazing!" Cerberus sneered only at that. but Belphegor laid it on thicker. "You need to tell me all about what kind of magic you're using! I'm maybe new to bio magic but I need to know. You don't have the shape shifter magic, yet you shapeshift, and how does this relate to you surviving stabbings? What are the rules? Limits? How did you discover this?"

Cerberus teleported onto an empty couch to her left. "I _hate_ it when she approves of me," Cerberus muttered. "So degrading. Stupid little human lover."

Azazel vowed to himself that Cerberus would never _ever_ find out the reason for his fall.

Belphegor's excitement receded to a satisfied smile and she calmly claimed Cerberus's couch. "Anyway, Azazel, you were too, even with more mundane magic. I'm glad we're sparing the human citizens. So tell me, oh powerful lords, what are your plans for the hundreds and hundreds of humans we have at out mercy now?"

"Really, it just benefits me to have a functional human community around. I get power from it for some god damn reason," Cerberus said.

"Mugaro and Jeanne wouldn't like it if were were too _traditional_ about humans," Azazel said.

"We're proud demons after all," Cerberus said. "We just do what benefits us and sometimes that means doing what benefits other people. Too."

An awkward silence fell, before Belphegor said, "Alright, listen. I know we're likely to run into other demon courts and you two have a way of presentation, but we need the demons right here on our side too. Torturing humans _isn't_ traditional for most of us. Can you avoid trying to give the impression that we're going to? For the sake of our people, who will bear the brunt of it if we end up dying?"

"Nothing we do or don't is going to make a difference anymore. Humans already have their opinions," Azazel said. "Nina is going to play at public relations anyway, just see what she gets done."

"That is not enough," Belphegor said.

It was more than strange to hear that said so coldly from Belphegor. There was nothing leftof the starry eyed adoration.

"Then what do you suggest, hmm?" Cerberus asked.

"It's not my suggestion. Now that Dante and Eligos are gone, I'm the only powerful demon who doesn't have history of bloodshed and who are involved directly with this whole affair here. That matters not just to the humans who might have heard your names, but also to our own people. Speaking of that, why are there so few powerful demons as I am, who have reached out to humankind?" Belphegor laced her fingers to support her chin, elbows on her knees. "I'm starting to suspect there's a lot of demon blood that was shed too. We have a moderate and an aggressive faction, but no peaceful one. Were we weeded out?"

She looked at Azazel for this. He kept still, having no answer, no comfort, no assurance to share. There had been a few times Lucifer had sent him to kill troublemakers or lawbreakers, he'd never asked what they'd done.

"Why do you need to know?" Borashne asked, her first words in. Azazel hadn't even noticed she'd been silent all along; that was what lower ranked demons should do when court was held.

This wasn't an ordinary court anymore.

Belphegor continued in a softer voice, "Olivia was my first time seeing uo close what kind of things the others in the upper echelon are wont to do. And she expected the same from Azazel. In the wake of everything, I need to ask myself how safe I am. Especially given the choice I am about to make."

Azazel wouldn't let anyone kill her if it was down to him, but ultimately Lucifer made the laws. Even if Belzebuth with his tendency to just murder deviants on the spot was gone, those he'd put in power had been redivided by Lucifer, not punished. All that creed was now integrated into Lucifer's side.

"Go on," Cerberus said, ears lowered either in hostility or anxiety.

"I just met Angra Mainyu," Belphegor said. "She claims to have no intention to lower the barrier and wants me to continue some kind of research she has going."

With some technical terms, she related what she'd found. Azazel had no objections to her researching, but she wasn't actually asking for permission. Just reporting.

"I want to work on that. I'd love, it's new and complicated, but ... I need to stand for the demons of this city."

"Say what now?" Cerberus said.

"Many of them agree I should found a court for them to join. They don't want either of you."

"Then you take them, I don't need them," Cerberus said. "Weird though you're finally doing that. You've been out but never chief."

"It's not my talent or experience to manage communities. It is _yours_ apparently. You'd be better, but ... " She sighed. "They don't trust you, and I'm not even sure I can. You once sold me to the knights because it was convenient for your pocket."

Azazel flipped Cerberus's couch over with a few black serpents. "That's not happening again."

Growling, Cerberus reclaimed her position. "It was just that she annoyed me, all she did was work on her science stuff and not help out! Maintaining what we had there wasn't easy, you know! We could say goddamn no to customers and was she grateful for that?"

"Still, no selling anyone." Azazel flipped her couch over again.

"It was to Kaisar and he wouldn't have kept her!"

Oh, now he was arbiter? "Don't make me repeat myself. You could've fired her or something."

Somewhat uncomfortable, Belphegor said, "I was rather absorbed in just inventions, but yes, let's not use people for trade. Not that I have a way to make such a law."

Cerberus straightened her couch further from Azazel now. "The laws under Lucifer, if we're keeping them, puts Azazel in as top authority. But I don't think you care for that anymore than Dante, right?"

"Found a court of your own, name it," Azazel told Belphegor. "I'll bear the so called crown, you will be my ally. If you need arrangements for your research, we can trade off something with Cerberus."

"I'm _not_ working for her!" Cerberus snapped. "I already have my girls, I've got a few others, we're not changing that."

"Then found your own," he said. "Two shadow courts, one that specializes in ... let's see ... warriors, and everything related to their upholding. Belphegor, you gather the crafters. We'll call that the weaponry position if anyone asks for the register. I will be courtless in practice, remaining as Lucifer's right hand, but I will back you if anyone makes a problem. Be it from within the local demons, or outside."

Within. Hmm. If Dante and Eligos were willing to flaunt and openly disrespect him, there would be more. The old structures only meant as much as people would to adhere by them, but for now it was the only structure they had.

"So, what do we do next?" Cerberus asked.

Whether his lack of experience, or the by new well tread tendency to make stupid mistakes, he wasn't right. The idea of lining the humans up and getting a good look at their fear was the first to come to mind, not anything more sensible, or useful. In fact, he'd happily slaughter all the slave traders, arena staff and whatever lords had gotten caught up here. But that was the area where keeping allies happy wasn't a jest about demonic pride being upheld. He wasn't going to go after the average population, but them ... would be hard to abstain from.

"Belphegor, you're in charge of passing sentences on the humans," he said, much to Cerberus's whining disappoinment, and his own. "The Smaragd Guard is already in your corner, right? Keep them close during the trials and let the humans see this isn't a war between tribes."

Belphegor had never looked at him like this before. So utterly devoid of adoration, but at the same time, she had actual respect. "I will."

He sat through a good three hours of discussion on city management and justice, hated every second of it, and didn't complain once.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **September 24**

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus had started dividing up demons by what things they had experience in, including those owned by the company she'd once been hired by. Nina tried to find any of the demons that had worked alongside her once, however involuntary. She owed them an apology.

Those whom Cerberus hadn't sent elsewhere already were, to Nina, a crowd of strangers. She didn't recognize a single face, and if she had to be honest, she couldn't even call any to mind. They'd passed in and out of her sight without enough regard to be remembered.

On the plaza before the once broken tower, Al Miray stood on a platform, reading a proclamation from Cerberus.

No leaving this part of the city. Follow directions from demon overseers. Be careful with fire. There were plans in the work for tunnels under the houses, everyone should be prepared for this.

Humans who hadn't owned slaves or otherwise were guilty of crimes were free to go within the barrier. Those who had commited crimes had the choice between being locked up, paying back to the former enslaved demons on whatever way was requested, or become wards of a demon and work for the new court. Demons could also contribute a debt that humans owed them to the courts, putting those humans before the choice of 'community service'. Cerberus was fairly creative with those, usually making them something utterly degrading but not lethal, and adapting to how bad the human had been. A few were outright put to the same work they'd inflicted on others before.

Nina didn't mind, though she worried what Jeanne would think if she came here. For better or worse, Jeanne had considered herself fully responsible for murdering millions once and didn't really believe in punishing herself for it; at least not externally, who knew how much guilt she'd been stabbing herself with during prayers. She might think everyone should just be let off to prove themselves, or think it was too severe, or something else. She hadn't asked for retribution from Azazel either. Then again, maybe for Michael had been the deciding factor. She could only guess.

It was kind of ugly business, in a way that Chris forced her to consider. That he was the only man on earth who had complete control of his choices put it in a strange perspective how many others didn't. For all but him there was no clear line, just a hazy sliding scale. Azazel had also had plenty of choices and made the worst kind, with the things that changed him having not been choices. A lot of chance that put him in a position where someone like Jeanne had enough reason to believe him a better person.

All that stuff was too complicated.

In any case, fate was a total dickbag. Leave that for later. She couldn't solve Chris right now, but she could solve a little bit of the problem with the city. If they were just supposed to give the illusion of hostages, then the danger of leaving the webs in place needed to be far less.

After going through the documents Cerberus now kept in her home, Nina made her way to the guildhall of the construction companies, which really was more of a convergence of several guilds ranging from painters to plasterers to brickmakers — with the frequent ruin that the Orleans Knights wreaked, there was always need to be ready.

The guildhall now had an open roof now. Inside was a humbug of demons who testified, a few humans who argued, and way too much talk for Nina to keep track of. Azazel stood on had been an upper floor once, sporting a blank look. One could read all sorts of ominous things, Nina just got boredom.

She waved at him before scouring through the crowds. Nobody she recognized, so she asked someone paper savvy. Those she looked for were a few houses down from the guild building. These houses had been ordinary living spaces, partially destroyed in the war with the gods, now ruins filled with humans awaiting their fate.

When she entered th designated room, they didn't greet her.

Smiling weakly, Nina approached her former fellow workers. "Hey guys."

"Nina?" Athias asked.

Stefano pushed through, and others she'd been close to approached as well.

"Can you put in a good word for us? I mean, we only did our jobs," Stefano asked.

"I don't know, there was a lot of whipping going around."

"Look, we were just following orders, it was the company who owned the slaves. We're just hired help."

"So was I, and I was pretty shitty back then. Wanna be thought of better, you have to prove you're worth it."

"You always were a demon?" Athias asked.

"Half," Nina said. "I'm not really sure what it even means, though, but yes. I denied some of it for a while, but I am a dragon running on hell magic."

"We've been waiting for judgment all morning. Why us? Does this have something to do with you?"

"What? No! We're focusing on the housing stuff cause there's so much busted from the invasion. In fact, that's why I looked you all up. Wanna help?"

"With what exactly?"

"An underground city, or at least houses all of stone that don't catch fire so easily," Nina said. "You'll just have to become wards. Come on, take it, it'll mean you ge a pass from the trials."

Under muttered anxiety, she brought them to the main guild hall and told them to wait outside.

"You think just asking him is gonna work?" Anton asked, casting a weary look at the dark figure atop the broken wall. Azazel had his wings out and did a fine job at ominous gargoyle in the mist, very looming and just as unlikely to drop down and attack. He was inspecting his nails right now.

"Don't worry, I have experience with that guy and will approach this with utmost finese."

Nina launched herself up the walls, flew across the missing roof and hung on Azazel's arm. "Hey Azazel, do me a favor?"

Cue slightly irritated side glance, "And what would that be?"

Good, he wasn't too prickly. "I know some people who can help us with expanding the tunnels and fixing the houses everything. Malphas has help, right? I'm vouching for that group over there."

Nina pointed. Said group cringed at Azazel's attention, and all around now stared at them. Azazel took a few seconds, but then called, "Malphas!"

Pretty soon, she jumped up to the wall. "Hmm?"

"Nina found you wards. Follow her."

"Ugh, I told you I'm not —" Azazel got the snakes out. "Fine, _lord_."

The growling indicated it wasn't fine, but Nina wasn't gonna be picky today and led Malphas to her group.

"This here's Malphas, who's protective of her name so just called her Saphant. You can become her wards and get neat magic."

Malphas grumbled something below her breath and glared.

Anton managed a nervous grin, Athias had lost his glasses and could only squint. Stefano had his arms crossed and stared, while Sallador couldn't stand still. Gosing of course was muttering under his breath about how little he trusted this.

"You want me to give _them_ power?"

"I used to work with them on construction, they'll have an idea what to do, promise," Nina said. "And they're just your run of the mill racists, not the ... uh ... "

That might not sound as encouraging, going by Malphas's increasingly disgusted look.

Nina pushed Stefano forward. "Anyway, that's the past. We can make this work today, right?"

Stefano forced himself to hold out his hand, which Malphas lightly shook before she said, "I'll give you a light pact first to see whether you are reliable. Don't expect it it make work a breeze, don't play with it, don't overexert yourself. You magic will work at once, but your skill with it takes time. You listen to everything I say if you don't want to, say, crush yourself to death or turn your bones into mud."

"Okay, just so you know she's one of those demons who go really hard on the ominous reputation, cause hell thought they only get stronger through fear, but we learned it doesn't have to be fear and she's about to discover she's building themed!" Nina declared.

"It'd be architecture, not buildings. And that's not even close to a mental state so don't count on it."

Nina folded her hands. "Can you at least _try_ to be less scary?"

Malphas rolled her eyes. "I can. Don't expect it to work."

She beckoned the humans to follow her to a room, which they did with dragging feet.

Well, that could have gone worse. With some luck, Malphas would like the results and they could fix the city sooner.

Upon returning to the slums, a cloaked figure stumbled at her. "Nina!"

She pulled up his hood and found Marcio, looking scarcely better than in the arena. He had a few new wounds, poorly bandaged.

"You should get to Mugaro for healing."

"I ... I can't.

"Why not?"

"Because that child is close to the rag demon. To Azazel! Who checks in regularly. What do I do if he sees me? Gods, I handed him over to Charioce." He grabbed Nina by the shoulders. "Is there anything I can do to soothe his wrath? You're his friend, right? Tell me what to do!"

Nina was tired of explaining everyone there was no danger, so she simply said, "Cake."

Marcio blinked. "Cake?"

"Yep. He _really_ likes cake."

"That's all I have to do?"

"Actually ... there was a lot of torture. Absolutely horrific torture. And then the king forced him to slaughter his own people. So maybe it should be a lot of cakes. I get there's not much ingredients, but maybe you can learn to use demonic plants?"

"Cake. Right. Got it."

Nina clapped him on the shoulder, grinning. "It'll be fine, your stuff is great."

That done, she had nobody left to visit, and no more work to do.

Save one thing perhaps. She got some blank paper, ink and a feather, and decided to write to her mother. The letter might not get sent, but it'd help her sort out her through. Nina told her where she was, how she was doing, how her friends were doing, but she couldn't get it over her heart to tell her about Chris. There wouldn't be enough room anyway.

And truth be said, she wasn't sure her mother was the best confidant. So many years spent smiling and pretending nothing was wrong began to feel like a living lie.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Belphegor was centuries old, had been through a lot, and only now was nervous. Well, there had been a few times before — sneaking out of hell for the first time, young stuff really — but this was so mundane. Go talk to some humans.

They weren't chosen humans. She hadn't found them by their fame or by prying through schools or slipping into monastaries. Worse, none of that had mattered. She was always a shadow in the night, a muse without a reputation of perfection. That all was so easy compared to now, where she had responsibility. Chaos, she didn't want this, she wanted to go back to her discoveries and at the same time, she didn't want to because that would let her friends down. Her _demon_ friends. Which she had now. Could she even call them friends if she was their court leader too? Oh who cared, she got to make her own rules now.

She couldn't screw this up.

The leader of the Red Troupe, Sarvo, was a stern middle aged man with red hair. Also at the table was Augustin Cluysenaar, whose attitude had radically changed now that he was a hallow of El Mugaro. Mostly changed anyway.

John Oagburg wasn't present, having remained in the slums to work. He was obsolete anyway, because the actual leader of the White Rose was Alex Schoraf, a fairly insignifigant doctor of the upper ring whom had little medical skills beyond traditional herbs, and so a lot of time and a lot of connections with alternate minded people. His scrawny farmer look helped the 'not important' charade too.

Felicia had decked the table with the kind of fancy tea and biscuits befit to a lord of Kaisar's standing.

"Cerberus won't be here today." Belphegor quietly took the empty chair. "I am Belphegor, a lady of hell on my own terms. I once was an ally to humankind and have had no part in the violent legacy of Cocytus. I never have, and I will not begin now. A number of those who have pacted with me remain alive, and I invite them to come forward, provided your king has not killed them."

"Right," Sarvo said. "So, what are your lord's ideas about that legacy?"

"Well, I stand for a new court composed of demons who never agreed with the ways of either Belzebuth or Lucifer. Hell unfortunately relies on a structure of physical power, and I was not around to be there for them when I should have been." It was out before she caught herself, but she could seamlessly picked it up. "I will be there now, so, we are always in need of food and medicine."

"Hold it." Alex held up a hand. "Belphegor, right? Sarvo, can we get that checked out?"

Alex shook his head. "The king had scrubbed clean the history books of any unsavory elements, including any mention of demons doing good. Info on her won't be in Anatae. Any exceptions like you are lost to the records."

"I am not an exception!"

At their affronted frowns, she lowered her voice. "Sorry for that. You must understand we have a delicate situation with the government of hell. It's only been ten years since Belzebuth is gone, and Lucifer is—"

"We don't care for that," Sarvo said. "We need to know what will happen now. Are you aware of the Black Troupe? They are on the move lately. According to them, heaven's holy child has stopped making appearances. The running theory is that they're testing a superior enhancement weapon, like the first ship of the attack. The Black Troupe wants to be prepared to take over the city when that happens. We will be ready."

"They've been in contact with you?"

"Obviously!" Sarvo said.

Not obviously, for all Belphegor knew it was a rumor, but she let it pass. "What would you have of me?"

"There is a lot of family in the city, you will hand everyone on this list over in exchange for food _and_ certain magic."

"We can arrange that, and ... how would you feel about a preliminary attack? Charioce holds hostage a powerful sorcerer who will be to our benefit." Belphegor faced Alex. "You have heard of Rita, right?"

"John once worked with a girl powered by hell. You are certain Charioce has her?"

"We have our own insider in the castle," Belphegor said. "This one will help us free her, but we could use hiding spaces between the castle and the barrier."

"Hold it. Rita is a good doctor perhaps, but what is she worth on the battlefield? Why wouldn't we have heard of her before?"

"She is neutral," Belphegor said, and decided to be a little dishonest. Rita being paid with stolen material wouldn't go over well. "At least, until Charioce provoked her. She was part of the rebellion."

"Did she summon that dragon?"

"No, she handled the zombies."

The mortified silence that followed this said enough; Alex being the only one aware of Rita's occassional zombie servant softly shook his head. She shouldn't have said that?

Belphegor spent the next three hours doing damage control because by chaos, did humans have strange and conflicting ideas about sacrifilige and dead bodies. And grossness could overpower strategy. It did not help they talked over her all the time, and she had to repeat more than a few things. Following up on that were a dozen demands on who would return in what way.

An agreement was reached only tenuously. They were about to wrap it all up, already in the hall, when Azazel emerged from the kitchen.

"Belphegor, one of the Smaragd got complications, go there as soon as you can."

An icy silence settled.

"You are still working _for him_. I see," Sarvo said. He closed the door without making a next appointment. What little lenience had existed in the others melted away, so Belphegor was met with steelier faces than even when she had entered.

At that moment, she couldn't take it anyway. Whipping back to Azazel, she snarled, "Out!"

Centuries of well trained reverence to the elite kicked in a few seconds later, but she had to manage the situation. So she repeated it. "Out, Azazel."

He glared, but the only thing he pressed was the door he slammed.

There wasn't much else to say after that. It didn't convince the men she was in control of anything. The best she could do was hope it didn't blow up.

 **· · · · · · ·**

As the unicorn emerged from the portal, Jeanne found herself in the gardens of the Valerian royal castle. A cluster of holy magic was here curtsy of arriving gods and heavenly ships, and unfortunately that meant they ran right into Reinier.

This was his first time directly seeing the unicorn, so he froze on the spot. Rather than fear, wonder fought to be on his otherwise controlled face.

Jeanne approached him with a polite but distant greeting, and they went through some routine formalities; inquiry on welfare, state of affairs, and a lot of conceal displease. All along, the unicorn grazed next to them and Reinier wouldn't take his eyes off of vun for long.

"The unicorn will not harm you, if that concerns you," Jeanne dared.

"It may do so indirectly, if you corrode the order further. You have taken quite some liberties," he said stiffly. "To what purpose, if I may ask?"

"The defeat of Charioce, the liberation of the demons, and peace between the three tribes," she said without missing a beat.

A dry recital of the facts everyone already knew. His real question she could only suppose to be something else.

She wondered whether gods could ever be ... well, forward and direct wasn't quite the same thing, but perhaps more expressive. They were so occupied behind their display of superiority, she had a hard time guessing what they'd do beyond it — Odin had been a nasty surprise.

"If so, perhaps you want to meet one of the greatest allies of the king. He has requested aid that you could arrange." He sounded like he swallowed hot poker saying this. "The king has request I introduce you."

Jeanne nodded, so Reinier brought in a young nobleman with a bright face.

"Lord Magnus von Essenbeck," Reinier said. "This is lady Jeanne d'Arc."

"So pleased to meet you," he said with a curt bow.

"Likewise, lord Essenbeck," Jeanne said. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"I to represent a group of aristrocracy from Teutoiskas and surroundings who are displeased with the king's choices," he said. "We've been laying the groundwork for a coup. Several of the aristrocracy is already in our corner, we have an insider on the movements of the Onyx Knights, and there appears to be a fair amount of loyalty still to you among the Orleans Knights."

Jeanne struggled to keep her smile discreet. There were humans opposed him all along. Elation came with bitter regret that she had not tried to oppose Charioce before the loss of her child.

"If you wish for my support, you have it," Jeanne said.

"Then please follow us."

Reinier excused himself at once, which wasn't helping Jeanne's plans to talk to him and the others in private.

Jeanne and her unicorn were led to a factory within the military complex, which contained countless smaller rooms centered on a wider hangar.

A single mecha stood in this hangar, concealed from the senses using the power of Dromos. Pieces of levitating rock were anchored all around, the likes Jeanne knew from heaven and the smaller kinds from within the typical mecha. The minister informed her that they'd brought them from Charioce, who had harvested them from hell. This was before Valeria had loosened the ties with him. They could have brought them for transport reasons, or maybe they'd been thinking about rebellion for a longer time than her arrival.

Right now, they had plans of creating new mecha, as opposed to relying on the ancient ones that sometimes were found around the world. The head scientist just came down a ladder.

A silver head wearing glasses had Jeanne expect an old man, but up close he appear in his middle ages. His dark coat was adorned with countless metal that radiates power she couldn't quite place.

"This is our head scientist, Paracelsus," Magnus said. "We were lucky for him and his centuries of knowledge to join us."

Paracelsus gave a quick bow before facing her with anticipation. "Lady Jeanne, perhaps you can help me. I had a pact with a demon not too long ago, but it appears he died. I would greatly benefit from another one that enhances my ability to manipulate matter. It saves so much time, you see, when experimenting on how to improve while relying on welders and wirers. I tried a few demons, but under the current circumstances none are strong enough to link to hell. Perhaps you know any who can?"

"First, was your ward master Azazel?" she asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he was."

"You abandoned him in the fight against Charioce, did you not?"

He held up his hands. "I'm sure this sounds very untrustworthy, but it appeared the humans had the upper hand for once, so I took the chance and bailed. Merlin and Athos joined the king, I didn't, but would I stick with Azazel? I like my pact and its benefits, but Azazel was not exactly good boss material."

"Understandable," Jeanne said. "I will see whether lady Mirin is available , she is at this time the only powerful demon in our faction. May I ask what you do here?"

He stepped before his mecha, gazing up as he declared, "These automaton are ancient technology that we humans just barely understand. We power them with spells beyond our grasp, relying on demons or gods to provide broken parts. I have found out that the way Charioce empowers them with these so called zommorods, invokes a unique source. One that can bend matter on its own. Through this, we might make these our very own from scratch."

Turning back to her, he added, "You have heard of the rumored _hand_ over Anatae, no doubt?"

"Not merely heard, I have seen it in action," she said. "It shapes at the command of a unique master, Charioce himself. The Onyx Knights bend no matter, but I suspect their armor is made of the same black material. The green power itself is something more difficult to explain, even as I spent years working on the crafting of zommorods."

Paracelsus might as well jump out of his skin with anticipation. "You could help us craft controllable zommorods?"

"No, but I might be able to help wield what you have. I have a way to ward off its infective properties. That will come in handy no doubt for who ever controls that automaton."

"Amazing," he said. "Is that also why your child has such a resistance to it? We were going with the theory that it had to do with humans heritage, but perhaps not."

"Why do you think human heritage?"

"During my work while still having a pact with Azazel, I discovered that even though my powers were of hellish origin, they fared well against the zommorod power. Demons stronger than me did not. I proposed the theory that the zommorods aren't actually that much more powerful, but exploit a weakness somehow."

She met Sofiel's eyes, but didn't say it. Sofiel surely thought the same : if Jeanne became a saint again, she might just be immune. ... had Sofiel already considered this?

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **September 25**

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Nina, would you do me a favor?" Belphegor asked. "It's about presentation."

Of course she could, and so Nina ended up in the Lidfard mansion to carry around bags and being a shining example of spirited friendliness. With some effort she managed to keep a smaller version of her wings out, making it clear to any of the humans coming in how _not_ a force of dark and gloomy evil she was. She didn't really feel happy, but it'd be okay to pretend again for a moment. Besides, there was no need to fake friendliness in itself. Just the smiles.

Kaisar was pretending to have his mansion renovated with the increase of his salary, curtsy of saving the king's life and being promoted to Onyx Knight, and everyone he "hired" were Red Troupe members. The garden around the house was just large enough to conceal to passerbies that the workers didn't do much. Stefano sat by, now pacted with Malphas, allowing him to do the actual work much more easily — that there was work to be done at all was also a display of how harmless demonic magic was.

Belphegor's friends had asked her to improve the reputation of demons, from what Nina understood. Azazel and Cerberus with their body counts and attitude wouldn't do. He stayed very far, and even Cerberus only sent Mimi out. Nina made a point of carrying the tiny dog around and reminding people he was a demon too.

She played with Tasro, helped Felicia in the kitchen, and listened to their stories, and reconsidered the happiness she had seen in humans when she first arrived in Anatae. For some people, it was as artificial as her own.

Those moving into the upper district would have to go into hiding, she was told. There was no way to explain their return and the authorities would arrest them for being an accomplice to demons. Nina knew all too well what would happen after such a sentence. Whenever someone passed by from the lower district who didn't take that so serious, she told them how she'd been treated as an accomplice of the rebellion, and of Jeanne and Rachel and everyone else, and swallowed the rising bile at the memory of running to Chris for help.

Standing by as his knights knocked her out, that's all he could do if he wanted to preserve his so called integrity, which was easier to call reputation. The second time they'd met there, a simple disguise was enough for her to not be arrested even as he recognized her. She wasn't sure how to call it betrayal, even as that word started to creep into her mind more and more, when her cover was so crucial to his decision. Could he get away with his reputation? She had him in her power? If not? Then she would not get away. A sacrifice for his convenience.

He had set up all these rules and now played against himself in being near her. To him she wasn't really a player anymore than the old woman shuffling into the arms of her daughter were, or the young man reuniting with his parents, or the lone old man who had no relatives to meet him, just weary friends of the resistance with whom he exchanged little words because he wanted to get back to work.

They'd been at it for years, small pieces to resist the king hoping to be a pebble in an avalanche. Spirits, she'd been so ignorant. She had thought herself just one of the humans once, the dragon stuffed away and the demons not her kind.

 **· · · · · · ·**

At the end of a day of reunions, Belphegor went up the stairs. Her old room remained as it was, still a makeshift laboratory. Since Olivia's defeat and taking up court leadership, she hadn't had time to clean up till now.

Soon she stacked the last of her tools in her backpack, and that was it. She struggled to find room for a few tools, her pockets were full, her backpack was, and she'd already pulled her hair in a bun just so she could stick a screwdriver and a few wires through it. She could make multiple trips, but she wanted to be gone as quickly as possible now the other side of the barrier was somewhat safer. And she was about to make a target of herself.

The door slammed, and soon Tasro darted into the room. "The scary guy is back. With the weird hand."

Indeed, Kaisar had hauled himself into the house at long last. Rather than armor, he wore elegant formal coat and yet looked like he was in rags. It was the paleness, Rocky didn't look so out of place anymore.

Quiet, Belphegor entered the room, waiting for him to finish drinking.

"You're the only one who is here?" he asked when he noticed her.

"Things are a little tense with the Red Troupe right now," Belphegor said. "More than usual, I mean."

"You're going to the slums?"

"We no longer need to fear being caught there, so of course we're moving out. There are few experiments I want to conduct that will be too noticeable for here anyway."

"Are you on board with Azazel keeping the hostages?"

"Technically, yes," she said. "We don't control the barrier, and it's caster is unreliable. If it goes down, we don't want Charioce sowing death right away. Don't worry about the webs, they're just for show. We will survive, humans included, Kaisar."

For once, he swallowed whatever rambles he had about perfect behavior.

With a heavy sigh, he said, "Merlin wants to help the resistance break Rita out."

Just to launch into a different kind of madness.

Belphegor just shook her head. "That is so obviously a trap I'm not even going to bother reporting it. Why would she even do it?"

"She hasn't told me, but she believes Rita is some kind of threat that fate wants removed alive. She wouldn't go into detail, but has since delivered me this."

He produced a paper with ink that only magical eyes could read. It told of a royal ball and the location of Rita within the castle.

Hmm.

"The ball means security around the king is heightened, but they'll still be spread fairly wide. Merlin's aid would be needed to get to Rita ... The timing of the ball isn't an indicator of a trap, especially not now the king of Manaria is here."

"I'll talk about it with the others. Have you talked yet with the slaves whom your beloved knights keep?" Belphegor asked.

"I ... I've been kept busy with the Onyx Knights and royalty," Kaisar said.

"If nothing from the inside, you must hear more from the outside world than we do. What is Jeanne d'Arc to you now?"

He gave a wry smile. "Everything could have been, I suppose."

"It's not too late yet. You still could be, and so could I."

Surprised, he looked up.

"I could have done so much more for my people long ago, now I can only catch up. You'll see in a few days, or hear," Belphegor said.

"You know, I don't think it's Rita or Azazel who's the weirdest enemy I've gotten along with. Azazel called me out for failing to be a knight, but you're calling me into being better."

"But will you? Let's say we go to the palace to free Rita ... how big is the chance we'll also be freeing the demons enslaved as cannon fodder for the Orleans Knights?"

He took too long to answer, and she said, "No plans on short notice, right? Or is it a bad time because of the army? Some other excuse?"

He sighed again. "One day, we may have room to talk about something other than this kingdom's failings. Until then, I'll tell you what I can about it. I'll be in touch."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Back in hell, Azazel's job was always to break up already existing fights, not to prevent them by being there. This now gave him an awful lot of time to observe just how afraid people were of him, on both sides. There was some fun to be found in that, but not much anymore. He'd rather spend time with Mugaro, which he did whenever their free hours coincided — he didn't entirely trust Cerberus's idea of safety for the child.

Azazel waited for Nina near the exit of the tunnel to Lidfard's mansion, from hence she launched herself soon enough. Right past him so quick, like she couldn't go through tunnels anymore without running. He caught up anyway.

"Hey, Azazel!" She slowed down a little, turning her backpack to him, then the bag in her arms. "Look at all the stuff Belphegor got us! Cerberus says she was swindled, but I dunno how, there's so much more food! Wanna have a picknick or something?"

Going by what Nina used to eat it wasn't much at all, but whatever. They picked up Mugaro at an empty sickbay, took along nur three tiny friends and found themselves an empty cave with a river, because Nina insisted Mugaro had to show Azazel something from class.

This turned out to be levitation, as Mugaro whirled Siem, Kiprio and Arai through the air. A few seconds later, it clicked.

"Mugaro. You _were_ the one who brought me far enough from the Onyx Knights."

Mugaro nodded, a little ashamed. "I couldn't go so far, but luckily Belphegor was around so I asked her to carry you the rest of the way. I'm sorry I kept it from you. I ... I wasn't sure what you'd do if you knew."

Before Mugaro mattered so much to him, he would have taken nur straight to Helheimr. He couldn't blame Mugaro for the silence.

"It's alright," he muttered.

"Hey, has anyone caught you up yet on what a mess the first rebellion was?" Nina asked Mugaro.

"No. I heard a little, but not much." Mugaro looked eager, but Nina hadn't asked because she was eager to talk about it, rather to test the waters on what Mugaro knew it. And her damn thing with Chris. Don't dwell on that don't dwell this was a terrible place to get nauseous. He wasn't here, she wasn't going anywhere ...

"It's a bloody story," Azazel said. "It won't teach you anything good, unlike what I'm about to tell you on telekinesis. What did you learn in heaven?"

Bloody little, it turned out. They'd focused on Mugaro's anti Dromos power, so Mugaro was limited to exploding a thing or two and lifting specific masses. Dexterity and endurance were neglected, even though ne had no trouble keeping nurself in the air and clearly had talent.

Azazel hadn't ever been in the mood to think deep about how this worked, but boil it down to function and flight magic had to have the same roots as telekinesis : they both were used to move masses that otherwise couldn't move. He did use his wings to lift himself but steering was their main function.

Mugaro actually managed to move nurself without wings, though it took considerable concentration. He tested it on his own, while asking Mugaro to see how long ne could lift other people or objects while floating. Perhaps ne wasted power that could be used better, lengthening nur endurance. Perhaps it was just youth.

Nina sat by watching in fascination, but didn't join. That was kind of annoying.

"Nina, give it a try."

"Uh ... I think I need my wings for that." She unfolded her wings and let Mugaro lift her, trying to hold herself steady in one place. Slowly she drew her wings back in.

"I got it!"

"Nina, can I let go now?" Mugaro said. "I'm getting a little tired."

"Eh?" And she fell like a brick.

"I guess not." She stood up, rubbing her back.

"That'll bruise," Mugaro said, already at her back to heal. "Not that I mind doing this, but I won't always be around. Can't you just turn into a dragon and then back to heal that?"

"I don't know how to ignite it yet. It still needs an extra push," she said. "Hey, Mugaro, maybe you can try healing that? I mean my transformation block."

"I can't heal that," Mugaro said with a sad head shake. "With wounds, I look at the imago of the past : how it used to be. It's more difficult if someone say, lost an arm in their childhood. That arm will be too small to regenerate onto their adult stumpt. But arms are arms, and I can just get the general shape right. But you're a hybrid, I have nothing to compare. I don't even know what to look for, since I never met any dragon of your kind other than you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Nina said. "Besides, I know how to keep my mind now and I can get my wings out, so maybe it'll get better on its own."

"How? Maybe that'll help me understand," Mugaro asked. "You didn't do that before, I wondered already."

"Jeanne taught me how to channel energy away, Azazel how to control my wings," Nina said. "There was a pact with the wings, I think the imago stuff was there too, but I'm not sure what Jeanne taught me is called. You know, you mother's really good with the magical stuff, she learned on the job just like that. She even could keep Dromos from infecting her. Oh, have you looked at Rachel and the others yet?"

Azazel wan't interested in any of that, but tried to keep up. It didn't last long cause Nina was lost on the technical stuff too. Mugaro was dissapoint, but decided pretty quickly to see whether ne could teach nur friends to levitate without their wings. Nina passed on this, because she wanted another lesson on how to actually break rocks. Azazel settled for that with a shrug, might as well figure that out first. It wasn't like they were in a hurry for anything. Probably.

Angra Mainyu hadn't shown herself since Belphegor. He didn't trust this, but had little choice but to wait it out. And spending time with Nina and Mugaro was better than boring city management.

The way Nina tried tearing into rocks was almost obsessive, unlike the first time she'd done this. Not once did she make a game out of it or challenge him.

"Is there a point to this other than beating yourself?" he asked when he was pretty sure she'd broken a finger.

"That's okay. If I get imprisoned again somehow, I _need_ to be able to get out much quicker."

Oh, that's what it was about it.

"You're not gonna start breaking out there with bleeding hands. We're taking a break."

"But—"

He pushed her food bag in her face. "Right now."

Mistake. Nina now had the entire food bag, and instantly ransacked it for her favorite parts. She did sit down to eat though. Azazel would have stood by to glower, but Nina gave him a look that made him feel like he was being silly for that. Fine. He sat down.

After Mugaro came by to heal her hands, Nina said between chewing, "So, what is hell like?"

"Fiery, dark, dry around Cocytus. Dank, dark, wet around Hades. Not sure about the rest."

"That's not what I meant! What do you love about your home? I adore the trees because they're so beautiful and powerful and the way the homes are built is so cozy, there's a nice creek where you can find gems ... you know, all the stuff I showed you."

He had nothing but the pride of hell, which didn't look like anything. Nothing but Lucifer had mattered.

"So no particular home to get back to? Where will you go after this is all over?" Nina asked.

"I'll go back to hell and rebuild Cocytus," he said. "And the lands around it."

Whatever that was supposed to mean. How did one even build land? That's what had been in the wish list stuff the old rebellion had written. It sounded logical to Nina though, who said, "Do you have spirits in hell? You should look into getting them to help you."

"Haven't got a goddamn clue," he said. "Not if you mean the kind you've got in your home. I couldn't even see them."

"I can't either," Nina said. "But there's ways to interact with them anyway, and I bet others knows more about that. You know, I bet Belphegor will find out. I heard her talk about scholarship or something ... say, what about Mugaro? Ne can maybe see what you've got down there?"

He kept quiet, and Nina figured out on her own why, "Ne can't go to hell, right?"

"It won't be safe there for a long time. Ne should live in heaven, that's where ne and Jeanne belong."

Nina gave a wry sound he couldn't place. "Even after what Odin did?"

"Unless that one takes over," he said. "But I'm betting my cards on that pink one putting her foot down some time."

Just hopeful thinking, because he had to consider it now. If they defeated Charioce, he and Mugaro would have to part ways. Hating that thought, it was time to derail."What about you?"

Nina pressed her lips together. "I don't know. I still wanna get some more money for my mother, but is there even going to be a bounty hunter system? I don't think heaven wants to pay me anything after all that, and Bacchus and Hamsa are still imprisoned. I hope they're okay, but I can't help them right now. You on the other hand just dodged the topic. What is it about where Mugaro is safe, hmm?"

He had nothing to say, so of course Nina went on.

"I get not wanting to send nur onto the battlefield with Merlin, but there's ways to block gates and teleportation, right? Don't you know anyone in hell who can do that?"

There were a number of spells too, and Lucifer had a record of whom that entailed, but he didn't even know anyone to ask.

"Come on, what _is_ it?" Nina poked his arm. "Is this about Lucifer again?"

Mugaro had gone off further with the other kids, far enough to not hear. Still, he kept his voice down when he said, "There should still be a sizable army in Helheim. If I could convince lord Lucifer to make a move ... but I'm not sure whether saying Dromos is still too burned out to be used will enough."

"And you won't tell him about Mugaro? Ne would do it, you know."

No question, but then what? He _should_ , for the sake of the demon tribe. Just one child a little in danger, right?

"Lucifer can be ... unpleasant when he doesn't get precisely what he wants and how he wants it," Azazel said. "And he would not be easily dissuaded from what he plans to do."

"So, we're not doing it?"

"Never."

"Good." Nina stood up, flaring her wings. "Then you better get me to break a rock, cause I need more up me sleeve if I'm going to be better at protecting Mugaro."

He smirked, and scooped up the nearest rock in exchange for leaving the fretting behind. "Only if you're less boring about it than just now. Catch!"

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus had a delightful time hopping nexuses all the way to Helheimr, what with all this power. It was like hell had never fallen. Halfway through the journey, she found a network of nexuses active. Using those was easier since it didn't draw on her power, if a little slower. She used it anyway out of curiosity, an active network meant conference of the tribes. Once inside Helheimr, she teleported right up to the sanctuary, but no further. Didn't want to offend Lucifer, so she let a servant conduct her in.

There was indeed a conference. Central to the hall, Lucifer towered over all on his throne, as usual slumped over and reading. It was still the same book. Grigori, Amaymon, Saleos and Bifrons had gathered as befit to them, but there were to others as well.

The fallen angel Mirin, and a white haired demoness with horizantally curled silver horns, in a cloak of silver blades. Even her black leather wings were pearlescent. Mammon, the demon of earthly riches. From what Cerberus had heard, she hoarded useless rocks and metals that stupid humans craved, using it to distort and seduce them. Like Belphegor, she had always technically been a stray of hell.

"Ah, Cerberus," Lucifer said. "Why are you here?"

"To discuss the potential for a conquest of Anatae, my lord," Cerberus said with a deep bow.

"We've covered Jeanne d'Arc's actions just now," Lucifer said. "You can bring something new to the table by reporting that Olivia at last deemed herself fit to join the circle?"

"Olivia?" Cerberus said.

"We heard she is in Anatae, right?" Saleos said. "They say she has a powerful ally casting a barrier, but I would bet that the humans sat ran themselves out on the zommorods. Though, she hasn't made further moves, has she?"

"Olivia is dead," Cerberus said. " _We_ now control the lower ring of Anatae."

"Why?"

"We're pretty sure she was planning to replace Belzebuth," Cerberus said. "Absolutely everything she did was hostile to both humans and us! She tried to kill me over and over until Azazel returned to Anatae."

"Hmm," Lucifer said, but the others had more to say.

"He left and went back without checking into Helheimr? What happened?"

"We heard of Olivia's actions by now, of course," Grigori said. "She's mad, taking over part of Anatae."

"Is it true Azazel defeated her?" Bifrons asked.

"Yes," she said. "With help, mine included. I ate her not too long ago, want me to cough up some pieces?"

"... no. Not in front of my books," Lucifer said. "Write up a report of how exactly this occurred. There are a few rumors about Olivia's power that do not add up. Especially not that barrier, who can uphold such a thing as the rumors say when hell as fallen?"

"Uh ... well, we're not sure why, but ... Angra Mainyu. She's in Anatae."

"Pffffft. No way," Grigori said. "Why Angra Mainyu bother with a shrimp like Olivia?"

"Olivia wasn't a shrimp anymore," Cerberus said. "She—"

"You can write all of that in your report, which you will write in Anatae, including proof Angra Mainyu is there," Lucifer said. "We have more pressing matters. That holy child has a range. The gods clearly don't know how to organize a proper assault, but if we had that firepower combined with the right ground work we could win without relying on humans."

"Attempts to summon him into our grasp have failed," Mammon said. "The Essenbecks even got an expert holy summoner on it, with no success."

"Silly you, you can't summon people you don't invoke right," Mirin said. "You don't even know whether the child's really a boy like humans say, how do you know the name's right?"

"Indeed," Lucifer said. "Jegudiel is the name of a long dead angel, I suspect Gabriel gave it as an honorary title. However, has Jeanne d'Arc not referred to the child as El Mugaro?"

"Attempts to summon through any variation and combination have failed," Mammon said. "And since the child has not been seen for many days, there is the potential he died."

As the others speculated on whether the gods were just trying to hook the child up to a better warship, Cerberus clenched her jaws hard. Tell Lucifer, piss of Azazel. Don't tell Lucifer, piss off Lucifer. Two high ranking, powerful fallen angels quite capable and willing to retribute.

Lucifer _hated_ deceit. Even a small instance would be met with pain, something like withholding a super weapon crucial to the liberation of the demons would be like treason.

Azazel, the way he was now, probably wasn't going to murder her for it. Practically speaking she should betray him instead of Lucifer.

"Cerberus, speaking of the Essenbecks having one of Azazel's former wards. How did he get this one?" Lucifer said. "According to Mammon, this ward was experienced and hails from eons ago, and why did Azazel break that pact?"

"He went to heaven, its defenses are down. I can't answer the other question, as I don't know which ward you speak of. Azazel had a lot of wards, some of whom he broke pact with due to them going insane, others due to betraying him."

That last one got a deep sigh from Amaymon, and an eyeroll from Grigori. "Of course."

"The ward is called Paracelsus," Mammon said.

He'd vanished. Probably lost his pact when Azazel had died, rather than have it broken by him as with Athos and Merlin, but how to explain the _not dead anymore_ part without mentioning Mugaro?

"Oh, him. I'm not sure what happened, I wasn't around for the rebellion, but I'm pretty sure he ditched us."

"Paracelsus speculated Azazel had died, since he left him with the pact so long," Mammon said.

Cerberus just shrugged. "I didn't talk with Azazel about any of that."

She hadn't needed to. Please move on to another topic, please move on ...

"What is it, Cerberus? Is there anything else?" Lucifer asked pointedly.

Oh crap he'd noticed.

"BelphegorandIsplitrulershipofthedemonsmoreorlesslikecourtsandthereasonIhavenoproofaboutAngraMainyuisbecauseIletBelphegorhavehaveallthemagicsciencestuffandIcantwritethatreportshehasto."

Lying to Lucifer. What was she thinking?

"You two started courts without permission?"

"Azazel approved!" she blurted.

"I see. We will handle the legality of that later, after the conquest of Anatae."

"As you wish, lord Lucifer. May I be informed of said conquest?"

"Naturally, since you will be expected to be part of it, whenever that may be," Lucifer said. "I won't be much."

"It may hope, I've done enough fighting against Olivia alone. Which will be in my report."

Mirin giggled. "No, no, you don't have to join the attack. Valeria and the Black Troupe are going to do it for us. Since humans can resist the power of the zommorods, they can take the brunt."

"All we have to do is ensure that after that happens, we will be the ones to walk away with Dromos and its control core," Mammon said. "That may need some ground work ..."

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **September 26**

 **· · · · · · ·**

When Belphegor showed up at Cerberus's mansion, Borashne at first tried dissuading her from entering. Cerberus had just returned from a long journey and was tired, but Belphegor spotted Mimi about and looking nervous. So, she turned it into a formal court visit and demanded to be seen, on behalf of knowing whether anything dangerous was going on. After all, Cerberus wasn't supposed to leave.

Incense was thick in Cerberus's quarters, but the light was dim.

"Cerberus? Belphegor's here being official," Borashne said.

There was just blurbed growl as answer, stemming from a darkened couch.

"I'll leave you to talk." With that, Borashna made herself scarce.

Belphegor approached. Cerberus held something in her hand, which she snatched it closer to herself. Too late, she'd recognized the tool.

"Who are you making a gate nexus for?" she asked while sitting next to her. Cerberus didn't even move away, but didn't answer either.

"As your ally—"

"Shut up."

"I'll just be louder if you invite trouble later."

"Fine," Cerberus snarled. "There's going to be an attack of Anatae to overthrow Charioce, by humans. Lord Lucifer want to turn my hill beacon into a full out gate, so so demons can come in unseen. Lucifer and the other courts want to seize Dromos, and a few of the old tribe leaders plan to come through and seize control of the demon population."

Oh yikes. Belphegor's opinion on Lucifer ran neutral to cold, and the first thing he acted on not being an underground escape route for the freed slaves, but this?

"If we purge the city and take Dromos, all will go back to the way it was," Cerberus said. "It might not even be that different from the way it is now. Or, I could be stronger and keep my court. Say, when you were in hell to get stuff for your bomb, what was it like?"

"The cities were ruins, but the plantlife thrived. We were in the realm of Hades too. The Styx waters were as powerful as ever, even as the city lay abandoned. I do believe there's truth to what Olivia said : hell itself isn't weakened as a place. Just its people."

Cerberus sighed. "All this power untapped ... and all I have to do is embrace being a matron demon of something silly?"

"It's not silly!" Belphegor snapped.

"Oh, I'm sure this sounds great to you, you mush bowl. It's scary for _me_ , okay? I have to start acting on it to get the most out of it. What if I change so much I'm not me anymore, or what if I wasted centuries being someone I'm not? Either way, I'm losing most of my life. Do I have to learn from gods about love now?"

"It'll only be good for you, and many others, if the humans see you in a better light."

She growled. "But I'm supposed to _be_ scary. I'm a demon."

"If you wanted to be that kind of demon, you would not live your life in three cutesy bodies," Belphegor said. She had a whole rant about how other demons didn't want the reputation she gave them, but had a feeling that wouldn't help Cerberus right now.

"Oh, you don't get it. That's for contrast, and to have something of my own. I like torturing people, you know. But ... I know I'll have less targets once I change enough that humans become like, well, persons to me. It's not there yet. I can still back out."

And Belphegor also reigned in a passionate plea on the benefit of not being a total monster, and kept it to the small facts. "You got Nils on his feet and founded a place where sex slaves could get better treatment. You're not entirely without well, ... mush."

"That's different! That's ... that's ... oh, to heaven with it." Cerberus threw the beacon at the wall, where it shattered. " _Why_ did I have to be community themed?"

Belphegor sat back, quietly measuring her next words. To Cerberus.

"You don't deserve it and you owe me some very nice equipment for selling me ... but I'll be here if you need me. Let's say that I'm being practical about keeping my allies functional, alright? The way you've always done."

"That's a really stupid thing to say." Cerberus growled, but her ears remained in their harmless droop.

"I'm trying to—"

"You can't say you will be in the future, when you're sitting here already being mushy."

"And so are you." Belphegor chuckled. "Welcome to the ascent."

"I hate you ... so, were you lying to Borashna about court business, or was there something else?"

"Actually ... yes. I hesitate to bring it up, but Kaisar told me something very interesting. It may just mean we'd have the option to expand our forces without invoking Lucifer."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus called conference every day at her whim and expected Azazel to show up. She wouldn't have had the nerve a decade ago, but that was then, and so was him ignoring what anyone but Lucifer wanted. Didn't make it easier. She also called upon Favaro, Mugaro, Belphegor and Nina this time, but didn't call on her own sanity, because she wanted to break Rita out of the castle.

"Merlin's on board, so is Kaisar, but we need to deal with the Onyx Knights. You know what is bound to draw the attention of both the knight and the security forces?" Cerberus said, eyes already on Nina.

"I say we don't have this meeting until everyone showed up. Maybe Coco has your sanity," Azazel said. "I'm fine with getting Rita out, but not at the cost an attack on the castle would bring."

"I wouldn't deem this worth it at all if it wasn't good old Rita, who can make us an army out of the enemy." If she was a cat, she might have purred.

"Get lost, we now know why Charioce didn't betray the Lidfard house right away," Azazel snapped. "He's lulling us into false security and plans to draw us out. He knows he's at a disadvantage if he meets us at the barrier.

Cerberus wagged her fingers. "Ah ah, we got sources. According to Amira, absolutely no preparations of any kind are being made, nobody talks about it, and the only thing Merlin did was bring in an old dragon from somewhere. Amira's pretty sure Merlin has her own plans, loose of Charioce."

"Yeah, we ran into this green forest dragon ten years ago," Favaro said. "He's where I got the barb of Bahamut that I used to defeat Bahamut. He'll do whatever's important for the world's survival, loose of any other powers. If Merlin allies with him, we can consider it."

"Great, the castle is now full of enemies that Nina doesn't have a convenient resistance to," Azazel said, slowly getting irritated because Nina didn't say anything.

Mugaro flared nur wings eagerly. "But that's okay! Azazel can deal with those dragons, and I can just knock out the entire city's range of Onyx soldier and throw in a few of the wyverns and ships. I'm here now, they don't know that. We probably don't even need Nina. "

"I'm sorry to say, but you are not actually all powerful, you're exploiting a weakness of Dromos just as Nina is," Belphegor said. "Now he has Merlin and a zombie dragon, you're in danger. It would be better if we keep you hidden for an emergency."

"Why is Merlin such a problem anyway? I don't think I even noticed her during the attack," Mugaro asked.

"Merlin is capable of creating portals," Azazel said. "The last time you were in Anatae with her as opponent, you were high in the sky with an army and a boosting warship around you, while she was on an undead mount she had difficulty controlling. It won't be like that now. The moment you turn your power loose, she will be able to track you. In the best case scenario, she opens a gate right behind you and comes through with a blade. In the worst, she summons you to her. Your name is now known across the world."

"Gabriel's called me Jegudiel, but mother's called me El Mugaro. Does that matter?" ne said, though nur voice already faltered in excitement.

"We don't know, but it's not a risk we're taking. You already disobeyed with Olivia."

"But I want to help!"

"You can once we dealt with Merlin," Azazel said. "Not before that. Understood?"

"I'm much more immortal than any of you. I actually came back from the dead, I'll be fine."

Azazel froze and stared. " _When_?"

"Possessed Nils stabbed nur," Cerberus said. "Chill, Azazel, it was my idea to go out there. I was sick of Olivia, and of you being so overcautious."

"Overcautious?" Azazel snapped. "Mugaro _died_!"

"And I was there to cut up the slack," Cerberus said, before turning to Nina. "Your call, girl. We just need something that is bound to keep the attention of the Onyx Knights for an hour or so. There's a ball soon, if we take that time you will be highly visible but also untouchable because they won't want to start a fight with investors and a foreign king in the room."

"No. This is absurd, a perfect target means—" Azazel started, only for Nina to slap a wing at him.

"I will do it," Nina said. "And I should. If he doesn't betray the Lidfard house for my sake, then it's a good bet I've got other leeway. We need to use that."

She kept her eyes on Azazel, silently daring him to say no with all the weight and horror of Charioce's regime behind it. Knowing he had enslaved both of them set a stark reminder he couldn't just go and try to control Nina now. Not just because that never ended well, but also because ... well, he'd be like Charioce. Control over negotiation and mercy any day. But what was he supposed to negotiate about?

He hadn't ever felt his utter lack of convincing reasoning or clever alternative ideas so deep.

Across the next day, Belphegor handled the communication with Kaisar, who in turn passed anything to and from Merlin. For this Merlin appeared in Kaisar's house through her portals. Everyone else was supposed to hang back, but ready to rush in for a fight.

That set Nina and Azazel in a tunnel room together.

Before anyone else arrived, he closed the door and leaned against it.

"Why?"

"It's cause of destiny and Chris," she said, that daring flare still in her eyes. "And I'm curious what's up with Merlin too. Favaro said she acted strange and Angra Mainyu let her in. It's like she's a piece of puzzle I need to meet before I understand Chris. What to do about him, I mean."

He also hadn't felt his utter lack of answers to the world, or his past victims.

"You did something awful to that woman, didn't you?" Nina asked.

"Yes."

Nina waited for more, so he said, "I broke her will to follow fate and deny her demon heritage, just to see what would happen. She proved so much more than that when she rallied against fate itself. I didn't even believe in fate at the time. Yet, she lost the power of prophecy, failed to do things on her own, and there was a price."

"There's going to be a price if Chris brings Bahamut to this city. It's not just for Rita that I'm doing this, but also because I have to learn more. I'm no longer the only one with a resistance to Dromos, so I'm making myself useful in another way. Didn't you go to Anatae despite having no hope to win, just because you had to do something? It's the same, and you actually got somewhere to."

"Right," he said through gritted teeth.

They waited in silence, long enough for him to fret over whether she'd tell him everything about Charioce _right away_ , whether she was planning anything particularly stupid, whether she knew at all what she left in her wake by throwing herself at Charioce. The damage it could cause to their new rebellion, or just to Nina herself.

He wasn't one to condemn sacrifice anymore. He'd never done that outright, knowing full well he'd lived and would have died for Lucifer, but almost every case of sacrifice he found amongst humans and gods alike had felt trivial and stupid. To him, most had appeared like hollow constructs based on empty nobility, a performance to exaltation that wouldn't get one's soul anymore, nothing like his own prideful devotion and admiration of Lucifer. They always wanted something for themselves, he'd been so sure of it.

Now the obvious answer within Nina's certainty could be that she wanted Chris, but she also wielded that desire, and the death she might get at the end of it was no less real for it. He was out of judgment, and realized he'd never known the laws to begin with.

The bottom line was though : Nina was throwing herself at Charioce willingly, a fact he couldn't just fight by blowing it up. A whole new kind of helplessness.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **September 27**

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus being in charge of community became a pain very quickly. Azazel was drummed out of bed by Cerberus, who insisted he go solve a dispute between Malphas and a ghoul master on how to employ the now useless amphitheater ruins. She wanted there to be housing (no doubt with herself at the center), but the ghoul master had already started planting his seeds. The latter had an alliance with Belphegor and bla bla bla urgh this was so frustrating. Back in his old castle, there was no quabbling like this, everyone just did as they were told. By his court master. Were there actually no squabbles, or had everyone been too afraid of him— aaand there he veered back into the past. That got him nowhere.

He didn't have the faintest clue what to do about either his people, or the inevitable fact he'd gotten closer to heaven than in a long time. He was somewhat dealing with the former by keeping the distance they wanted, but heaven? He'd have to face that somehow through Mugaro and Jeanne. It'd not be pretty, no matter what, even if he didn't die again. He wasn't going to forgive heaven for Dudael's existence, and they wouldn't forgive him for being the scapegoat so willingly. He'd have to have an opinion beyond that soon.

That confrontation with heaven just didn't quite take on the form he expected when Mugaro approach him shyly, with that specific pleading look that indicated ne needed help.

"What is it?

"It's a bit weird. I hear prayers much better when people are close, and they know my name."

"And?"

"It's Augustin. You know, the priest. It's really kinda weird," Mugaro said. "He's a nice man, but he keeps praying for forgiveness for sinful thoughts. He thinks a lot of the demon ladies are pretty and that's bad for some reason? They look weird in his mind too."

Well, that was a new kind of problem, dammit. "Tell me where he is."

Azazel found the priest at work in his office, teleported in and whacked him on the back of the head. "Are you mad? Mugaro is _seven_! Stop putting horny crap in nur head!"

The man shrunk into a bundle, slipping off his chair to grovel. "I'm so sorry and ... what?"

"You're praying to Jegudiel, right?" Mugaro asked.

"Uh, yes?"

"Those prayers go to Mugaro. Jeanne only has one child, nitwit. Mugaro, tell him it's not a sin."

"Heaven practices polyamory and there's no taboo for falling in love with the same gender, and there's four genders. Some of the gods are very not nice about falling for demons, but since you're allied to me and I say it's okay, you shouldn't be treating it as bad."

"Uh ..." was all the priest managed.

"Go have an orgy for all I care, but stop bothering Mugaro with it."

Mugaro followed him out of the room before asking, "What's an orgy?"

"Adult stuff," Azazel said through gritted teeth. "Later. Much later. You go ... hey, teach Nina how to pray."

"I'm a little busy with figuring out all the healing things. Why can't you teach her?"

"I never was an angel who was prayed to," he said. "Just a watcher. We oversaw the stability of earth and reported, that was all."

"Okay. Is that something you'll also tell me about much later?"

"... yes." He got a smile out at that, not so much about what he had to tell, but that Mugaro cared to know. Gods never cared to know otherwise.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Whenever she had nowhere in particular to be, the unicorn always brought Jeanne back to the mining town. It hadn't been an agreement, nor disagreement, it simply happened. Usually she arrived to silence, but now it was to turmoil. All of the town was about and humans cleared the roads for both carriages and airship. Still enslaved demons were about to haul parts into the mine.

Reinier stood atop a boulder, passing directions to underling angels and ignoring Arligau and Mirin behind him.

"Lord Reinier, what is happening?" Jeanne asked.

"The government of Valeria has agreed with me to host the Black Troupe's invasion efforts here," he said without looking up from his screen.

"Why would that need to happen here of all places?"

"We shall use the mine to organize this," he said. "And the presence of demons will adequately explain a sudden shift in magical energy. They might as well work along, right? It's for their own good."

"You're making them slaves again?" Jeanne spat.

"They will be paid."

"They didn't come here for this work, you're still forcing them to it."

"It's okay, miss Jeanne," Mirin said. "The demon tribal court has approved it."

Arligau hadn't said a word the entire time, and looked not one bit thrilled to be part of this. Ve just shook vun head at Jeanne when she was about to argue.

After the meeting dispersed, they remained behind.

"I'm sorry," Jeanne said. "I wasn't able to do better for you all."

Arligau just shrugged. "The lords of hell have been screwing us over for centuries. At least we're not slaves anymore. Technically."

There was no joy or even relief in vun tone, just tired resignation.

This all _wasn't_ good enough.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel's life had become rushing between heaven, avoiding Gabriel and still get her work done, and arranged an increasingly elaborate social project on earth.

Search parties for El Mugaro turned up nothing, which was fine. Rumor had it that Azazel had taken claim of the lower city of Anatae, which was not fine. If that was true, El Mugaro was almost certainly there.

On top of this, when she met Bacchus in a private room, he dumped troubled news on her.

"Odin wants an inspection of Gabriel's past governing activies and insight in her running the war with Anatae," Bacchus said. "Say, why didn't she retreat the moment Dromos appeared?"

"That was El Mugaro's decision," Sofiel said. "Lady Gabriel did order a retreat."

"That is not going to go over well, especially when the kid ran off with two demons," Bacchus said. "Gabriel needs a better excuse."

"El Mugaro is Michael's child and ne is telekinetic, that should ... oh, who would care? Facts hardly matter anymore, do they?"

Bacchus shrugged. "If we draw this out long enough without Odin achieving anything, maybe I can pin him down as a fool like me. Gabriel has ages of stability to her name, if she can weather Odin he'll end up disgraced for trying to challenge her."

Sofiel shook her head. "You're not a fool when you're not drunk, and neither is Odin. We can't play the long game. Se ... Charioce might intend to fight Bahamut. We don't have time for heaven to stabilize, and we definitely don't have time for Odin to throw everything into chaos."

"Come again?"

"Bahamut. Jeanne personally confirmed it, and lord Michael's spirit ..." she trailed off at Bacchus's stunned expression.

Time to update him, then. That didn't take as long as she'd expected, as he not only was sober, but also quite familiar with fate's game. He'd been an asset to it, after all.

He told her in turn a little more of his involvement with the rebellion. Well, little as far as useful strategy went. Most of the people were dead, but she learned quite a bit about Bacchus and why he got involved with demons; apparently he even knew Azazel for the past ten years.

"You know, I might've suspected the kid, but I never pursued it. You know why?" he said at one point when Mugaro came up. "I got exiled for falling in love with a human, and learned that I got off easy because of my old status — I can't just dissappear as the god of wine. Not much of those around, but I could be disgraced. Lesser names get lesser kindness. Simply put, I wouldn't want an innocent kid like that to be made one of you, especially not a nephilim. Some of your laws allow you to be devils, you know."

Frowning, she waited for an explanation.

"Have you heard of Dudael?"

"In name. It is a closed prison on earth."

"Huh. Closed. I guess. Anyway, if you get to Anatae ..."

He went on about tunnels, but Sofiel found it harder to focus.

Whenever she worried, the desire to be near Jeanne and her confidence increased, and she'd gotten better at sneaking off. After seeing Bacchus to his 'job', she took on human clothes and opened a gate to Valeria.

Jeanne would be in the middle of a refugee operation. Valeria didn't officially take in refugees and was in fact prone to ship any "stolen property" back to its friendly neighbors. Jeanne had arranged for a warehouse to host demons feigning to be slaves before routed onward. From there on, they moved to a nearby forest at night.

At dawn, Sofiel waited aside of a trench, unpleasantly isolated with the word devil on her mind. Bacchus had strongly implied there were laws itself that were questionable. The way the laws were executed were a problem with the likes of Dione, sure, but actual laws? Dudael? What did that have to do with Mugaro?

A line of cloaked figures appeared; Jeanne leading them. They plowed through the low water, heads down until they reached the shadows of the forest. Jeanne paused for a moment to smile at Sofiel, before plowing on.

On a whim, Sofiel plucked some of the honeysuckle lining the forest's edge and wrapped it within a handkerchief. Jeanne helped the refugees climb out of the trench, quietly assuring them the goddess was no threat. The quickly slipped by her anyway, to be met with demons who had already made him in the forest.

As the last one slipped into the safety of the forest, Sofiel helped Jeanne out of the trench and laid the gift in her hands.

"I'm told of the lady's favor to knights," she said. "Though I do not know whether the practice still stands, and I imagine they were given for less practical reasons."

Jeanne sighed, not weary but relieved. The flower she set in the brooch of her cloak before using the cloth to clean off her muddied hands and face. That done, she stored it in a pocket. "Still, a favor given is to be kept, my lady. Would you add in whatever weighs on your mind?"

Sofiel briefly entertained and discarded, the notion she should portray an untouchable air like a true god. Jeanne didn't need that.

"You noticed?"

"How would I not, when you are here alone, with no purpose and contemplating human customs?"

"A few matters do. Qhispe told me of the exile of dragons, and of Arbiter Mortis, and their eventual escape from hell. They are a people driven to escape the war we fight. Now it appears heaven will have to break apart too. If I become one of the new archangels, I must uphold the laws. For now, at least. We cannot afford such a breakage now, and ..." Now, she was straying into dishonsty here too. Untouchable wasn't the only thing. "I have understanding of what kind of leadership I should give, but only within the law. You go out of bounds so much, Jeanne, throwing aside convention as easily as the wind blows. Maybe your smaller actions mean more indeed, because I'm getting nowhere in heaven."

"I would not get anywhere alone," Jeanne said. "We'll find a way to salvage heaven."

The absolute certainty with which Jeanne spoke of heaven as a broken thing to be restored tore at Sofiel in a way she couldn't name. Jeanne almost might have said Sofiel herself would have to be salvaged. It shouldn't hurt that way, she only meant heaven, but heaven was Sofiel's life and blood.

· · · · · · ·

 **September 28**

 **· · · · · · ·**

When Kaisar passed the tunnel, he expected the same slums now more darkened and demonic. He wasn't wrong about the latter; the buildings were taller and streets had turned to tunnels, but everything ewas warmer and more colorful. Honestly, he should've realized that the purple gloom was just an Azazel thing.

When he arrived, Cerberus already held council.

"He wasn't followed," Favaro said. "I'm not sure whether that's gonna last though the moment he signs Nina on the guest list."

"We could employ Allesand," Kaisar said. "He is beyond suspicion."

"Who?" Belphegor asked.

"Are you out of your mind?" Cerberus said. "My precious bigoted hayhead who tried to murder Nina once already? Why ever would be trust him with anything? You idiot. Allesand likes the way Charioce runs the kingdom. I had to blackmail him on his reputation to reign him in."

"Allesasand has always been a devoted knight, if we get him to see the need to defy his majesty for the sake of the kingdom—" Kaisar tried.

"Do you even hear yourself?" Azazel snapped. "Still calling him majest after everything he's done? Why should we even trust _you_?"

"Face it, darling, your precious fellow aristrocrat boy is a murderous twat who thinks about two things : his glory, and how to get in Jeanne's pants. Now, _Dias_ might be loyal enough to you," Cerberus said. "Prone to talking about you in a reverent way, and he always made sure to pay us well. We could just trigger Nina and drop her in from above now she can fly, while Dias guides the king to safety in the opposite direction ... maybe we can even set a trap to chop his arm off, get the bracelet _and_ Rita in one swoop. If we just put Mugaro to—"

"No," Azazel said, to which Cerberus shrugged. "Not with Merlin around."

"Merlin is on our side," Kaisar said.

"No, she's on the king's side and just wants Rita out," Favaro said. "We're not going to change the plan last minute to rely on a trigger happy racist."

"Allesand is dedicated to the cause of the Orleans Knights, which ultimately is the welfare of the kingdom!" Kaisar sputtered. "Sure, he's been a little too zealous sometimes, but—"

He got no further as Azazel slammed a pot over his head. "Should we be trusting Lidfard's brat at all?"

"Right," Cerberus said. "Maybe we should try to have Trismegistus mould herself to look like Dias. Or Walfrid if the voice is a problem."

Kaisar tossed the helmet. "On my honor as a knight, I will not betray you. Honestly, you should know better."

"He did ditch the knights once to help Amira," Favaro said. "We'll just have to go with it."

 **· · · · · · ·**

The evening of the ball arrived with rising tension. Mugaro had to be suspicious by now about why they were sending Nina, but when Azazel went into the tunnel, all ne did was hand him a few white feathers.

"They're my own. For Nina," ne said. "I can't do tricky enchantment, but they'll glow and can stop bleeding. Be carefull, all of you."

He ran his hand over Mugaro's head. "We'll be."

Hahahaha. Ha. Yes, they would be that. Sending Nina into the castle as diversion. The height of carefullness.

There was a long line of increasingly ludicrous things since the fall of Cocytus that refused to stop escalating. Really, it shouldn't at all faze him that now they were dangling Nina before Charioce calling it sound strategy just so a few men with rocks in their chest wouldn't stand around a zombie. All of them except oblivious Mugaro were completely on board with this on Kaisar's flimsy word that Merlin wanted Rita removed from the castle alive.

And god dammit all, Nina just went along with it. like it was nothing that she threw herself at _Charioce_.

The mansion was quiet, save for Kaisar complaining loudly about how Favaro got his clothing wrong. Trismegistus passed by without a word, but Belphegor pointed him at Nina's room.

When he opened the door, he might've let go of the handle a little too late and kind of tore the thing apart.

Nina all in blue and veils and frills raised an eyebrow at the splintered door piece. He threw it over his shoulder.

"Is everything alright?" Favaro called from down the hall.

"Don't worry, teacher," Nina yelled. "A door fought an epic but tragically doomed battle against Azazel."

"Azazel! Do you always have to ruin my stuff?" Kaisar called back.

"Yes!" Azazel snapped, but his attention was on Nina glaring at him.

"You are _so lucky_ you didn't do this earlier. Really, Azazel, in what world is bursting in when a lady's with her dress a good idea?"

Oh, this was a _dressing_ room.

"You left an hour ago and you're _still_ getting dressed?" The thing didn't even look that complicated. Some marine thing with ribbons.

"Felicia helped out actually. I had no idea formal wear was so complicated to get into, and all the make up. It's a lovely dress though, right?"

"No." There was nothing lovely about Nina gift wrapping herself for Charioce, so he held out the feathers and didn't look anymore. "From Mugaro."

"Ooooh, that'll go great with the white lace! Hold on, I think there's a nice pin here to go with it. You might as well stay, I need some help getting this veil on," Nina said.

She pulled her hair in a small bun and waited for him to hold it up. This was absurd. He wasn't her maid or anything. What was she thinking, asking him to do this?

Azazel ended up with his claws in her hair anyway, fighting the temptation to tear off this charade and ruffle it back into its usual assymetric mess.

That done, but with her turning around with an enthusiastic "All set!" he hated it too much to just let it be.

"Are you going to do more than just distract him?"

That broke the joy in exchange for sadness so quickly, he doubted outright saying he didn't trust her would be worse.

Did he even have a reason to trust her, just because she was willing to talk about Charioce? Chris. Her damn boyfriend despite goddamn everything. She _probably_ didn't hide anything. She _probably_ didn't have any intentions of doing something stupid. But she had done so already without premidation.

"I can only promise you I won't do anything that helps him. I won't risk anyone's life."

Was this how she'd felt when she'd worried he would end any innocent lives afterward? The same fear of betrayal ... Chaos, how did they get to a point where he had to worry about her jeopardizing innocents? What ... ugh. He didn't know. He hadn't actually spent his centuries doing anything complicated, him reading people was limited to obvious scenarios that were liable to draw his attention from a distance, the actual inner lives of people were often beyond him. He could guess at the impact of greed, nobility, sacrifice, and simple people like Favaro could catch him off guard. His knowledge of human minds — or any, if he had to be honest about how alike demons and humans could be — was that of long experience and experiment without any inherent talent or development. All he noticed was patterns.

There was no clear pattern to fit on Nina. So driven by feelings and thoughtless, attention to only details she favored, breezing past the rotten while a dragon raged below her skin. She wasn't complex with deeply thought out motivations or goals, just alternating between wild and sweet, simple as that. She'd called herself not safe, true in more ways than one.

He needed to say something, anything, to make sure she'd not fall to Charioce. Something that would keep her alert, but he had nothing. He didn't even understand what she liked about him. Safe? How could he still be that to her after all she learned of him?

His silence got awkward, so Nina turned away and it felt like he'd lose her, so he pulled her back by the shoulder. "You can't do this."

Nina only blinked. "We've been over this already. I'm not trying to get anything but his attention this time, I can't fail that at least. I may not be able to control the dragon, this I can do."

She could barely fly straight even with her wings out, but that wasn't even what this was about. "Can you resist him?"

"I am not that much strung up by butterflies, you know," she grumbled, before she added more softly, "The kids in the slums, he made a ball for them but then he just wanted to go home. He doesn't want to change anything about the way he rules. I try to hard to contrast those small kind things to all the pain he's caused."

That he caused _her_ specifically. Didn't she even realize that? Charioce would know exactly what he'd done to her. Azazel could do _nothing_ but stew in knowing _why_ it was so delightful from Charioce's side. And goddamit, Charioce was about to own her again.

"You sound like ... like ... this is serious. I've seen people like you before who play with the fire. I pushed them at it." And had no idea how to pull them away. "He is ... "

"I know he's dangerous, but the one thing fate gives is that he isn't very enthusiastic about killing me. I know, I've test this."

"He has ways other than bleeding to break you," Azazel said. "He is a master at where I was mediocre at best."

"He hasn't tried to break me either," she said.

"Gods dammit Nina, he kept you as a slave, you tried to bury you alive on that island, how can you wave all that off? Do you have no pride?"

Startled, she stepped back.

Shouting at Nina never worked. Not wanting to leave, he sat on one of the chairs, stubborn to wait for something without knowing what he wanted. Other than her to get a good reason to drop the whole stupid plan.

Nina was strange, calm like that. It didn't fit her.

"You're afraid of him, aren't you?"

It took all his strength to push back his pride and even then he couldn't look her in the eye when he said, "I am."

There were more kinds of fear than just the kind that made one wimper and flee with tail between the legs. Another kind did the opposite and sent one hurling at the danger, just for a chance to save someone. That wasn't just rage, as he'd have said a mere ten years ago, when to him such had only looked like anger over some thing that belonged to one.

Lucifer in the wake of Bahamut's destruction, Mugaro under Olivia's shadow and Nina into Charioce's arms.

"It's okay," she said at last. "I know all the evil he does. I wouldn't be tried to rally heaven to fight him, even if I gave him a pass on one thing."

"You can't feel it though," Azazel spat. "Or you wouldn't have been able to stand him near you."

Her eyes lingered to his left, on the scars down his face. They'd expanded to his throat now.

"You said the marks of Charioce's actions will never go away, so your snakes weren't scars from that. What were they?"

Just a breaking point. The zenith of grief or whatever else, he didn't know any of that spiritual crap. "It makes as little sense as whatever else changed about me. That's not important."

Nina reached out to the scars on his face, slow enough to see whether he didn't draw back. Tch, as if he needed to be handled with care.

"And these?" she asked softly.

Despite himself he leaned into her palm, and she smiled and nothing was right.

"I don't know all he did to you, but I can see more than just marks and a ruined arena. Don't worry, okay? Maybe I care more easily about people I know, but there's more than Chris. I won't forget Mugaro and Jeanne and all others. I can't forget you. As long as my mind is my own Charioce will be my enemy."

It wasn't just that, it was ... what it was like to be owned by Charioce. She was about to stand at that abyss.

"You're ridiculous." Surprised and maybe dejected, her hand dropped. He caught it, just to let go. "You don't even worry for yourself. You don't want me to get myself killed? What about you?"

After a pause she said, " _I_ do want to live, but so do others. I can't be careful all the time, right? You're not either, so trust me tonight, and I'll trust you to bring me out of there. Last time, Amira helped me out and Jeanne knows already, but no one else can know."

He nodded, wordless when silence wasn't enough.

"My real name is Ninati Navrátil."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar Lidfard had a carriage of his own, but had to hire someone to drive it, having not used it for years. A member of the Red Troupe would handle that. Nina couldn't help a little excitement at going to a ball, right up until she saw Kaisar all decked out and realized she'd have to spend time in a closed space with him.

He held a hand to help her into the carriage, and Nina shuffled herself to the other end of the carriage to stare out of the window.

Now she had touch with her dragon life, she remembered him from more than nights of chasing the rag demon. This was the knight who had protected the king back on the hillside, when her dragon self had been so determined to kill Chris. She was hardly in a position to blame him for sparing Chris, but still, that just meant he wasn't very reliable in the same way she wasn't. And unlike herself, he had only joined the rebellion through pressure.

"You remember me?" Nina asked once they were out of Cerberus's earshot.

"I'm aware of who you are," he said in a most strained voice. "I ... I wanted to apologize for the conduct of my knights."

While he hadn't been the one to order her execution back then, he was in charge of the Orleans Knights and apparently had never deemed it fit to dismiss Allesand Visponti. She'd seen how he had trained his men : brutally violent at the slightest provocation. Now she looked back at it without rose tinted glasses but with memories of her dragon life, Kaisar's knights acted by default as if they were hunting a dangerous dragon, even if they were after a defenseless person.

"Alright, go ahead," Nina said.

"Uh, right. I offer my sincere apologies for the unfortunate circumstances—"

"It's hard to buy your sincereity if you won't call it attempted murder."

He scraped his throat and said, "I offer my sincerest apologies for my knights attempting to murder you, and I am in your debt as a knight. Prevail upon me for whatever you need."

"Okay."

His hands clenched for some reason.

After another silence, he said, "You don't intend to kill the king, right?"

"No!" The got out embarassingly quick, and Nina recalibrated. "I don't think I can, but others might. I won't stop my friends either. What about you?"

"What?"

"Why were you alright with the slavery and massacre for so long? Why didn't you do anything like our human allies do?"

He only gave her silence and a very tormented look. She might've been alright with that once, but it inadvertably brought her back to Chris. She had no idea what Kaisar's sorrow was aimed at. Just himself perhaps. Maybe he was loyal to Chris because they were alike somehow.

In a way, she still wanted to find someone kindred to her in this absurd struggle. Maybe she could find some kind of answer to what even allowed Chris have such a powerful hold on her. "Is he your friend? Why do you admire him so much? Why do you think he deserves the throne despite everything he did?"

He just looked more tormented and just said, "This isn't a good time to have this conversation. Please just focus on the charade we are about to put up. You have the story memorized, right?"

"We've been over it five times already."

The Onyx Knights were supposed to be drawn to the scene, but there wasn't supposed to be anything that raised suspicion of Nina herself among the royalty. The ball was supposed to go on without disruption and the Onyx Knights had strict rules about not interfering unless it was a life or death circumstance for the king.

Under normal circumstances, a girl Nina's age making her first appearance would qualify as a debutante, to be formally introduced to high society. It was rare anyone in high society got pregnant without it being noticed, and Kaisar wasn't even married to begin with. A bastard offspring was out of the question, especially with the king of another country present; a quick ticket to being discreetly escorted away.

So they had concocted a story, Kaisar's dead family had a benefit here : nobody in the aristrocracy had the facts. In the grand scheme of Nina's decision to not brush off anyone's crimes, it was a sour pill to swallow that Azazel was responsible for that. He'd spoken of scars that wouldn't go away for generations. While his past wasn't on par with Charioce's present, the scars were still here.

As she ascended the stairway before the carriage, she effortlessly put a radiant smile in place.

The way up required one to pass either many stairways, but an elevator had been installed. They boarded it with several other nobles. Nina clenched her hands, hating the small space, but it should just look like excitement to anyone else.

"Lord Kaisar Lidfard and lady Nina Lidfard," was announced once they entered their destination.

Nina did not need to fake making grand eyes at the place. Golden light filled a massive round hall, lined with arches like around the castle itself. Dual stairways led to the dancing floor, beyond which was another stairway to the throne. Flanked by windows was a tall golden seat with red cushion, upon which he sat : Chris, decked out in fine, ornate white. He didn't see her yet, occupied with talking to a woman with bright green hair.

As soon as they were down the stairs, a flock of men and ladies approached Kaisar, bringing with them a puff of perfume and gossip.

"Oh my, what a lovely girl. How come we never heard of her?"

"She was born after the disgrace of my family. Upon my mother's death I was forced to give her up for adoption," he said. "I had given up all hope to find her again, but due to my recent heroic deeds, she caught my name and sought me out."

"Yes! I travelled pretty far and I was really, _really_ poor because the king's welfare is pretty limited to the rich cities, so it took a while," Nina said. "Anyway, I was like three when he had to give me up for adoption, so I remember him a little, but nobody believed me when I told anyone. I just now had enough money to pay for a journey to Anatae."

"Oh, that must have been so difficult for you."

They asked more, but never too much detail about life in poverty. They wanted to rather hear of amusing anecdotes than of hunger, so she told them of hunger anyway. Thanks to Chris for that experience, she quietly added.

The ball shone on, filled with chatter and orchestra. Like a fairytale come true, if it wasn't the crown on the genocide of the demons.

Also, food. After days of utter scarcity in the slums, Nina had to fight not to throw herself on it with her monstrous appetite. There was a huge greasy bird of some kind that she could eat entirely, and sloppily, but the sight of the oily coating made her stomach turn in ways she didn't have words for. She shuffled to the fishy side of the table and took all the caviar garnish from a plate of pudding. At least, that probably was pudding.

Kaisar held more attention than she did, with her obvious commoner manners. Fine for her. She only needed Chris's attention.

Soon Kaisar excused himself to meander towards a small door, all the while making iddle chit chat. He would alert the Onyx Knights of her presence, declaring he had feigned cooperation with Favaro for an assassination attempt but wished to nip it in the bud by capturing their assassin.

By then, Nina was supposed to already be near enough Chris to be irremovable without a scene. The whole thing hinged on him being unable to resist her.

It was _weird_ to think of herself as some greatly seductive being who held sway on the most powerful man on earth. And kind of alluring, and dangerous.

All the time, Chris sat on his throne up a stairway that oversaw the ballroom. He barely moved, didn't follow anyone with his eyes. He was gorgeous, of course, and congenial when relaxed, and yet it felt so wrong ... it was in the way the young, eligible noblewomen cast adoring glances at him. The whispers of whom would be his wife, because of course he needed an heir, lay thick but hushed in the air. Nothing else did. Nobody in here even thought of the misery he caused.

She'd been so close to this, but now she could only pity those ladies. And she resented them, and everyone in here, as the pit of her stomach still begged for more food because everyone in the lower ring was starving. Nobody of the rulers here cared. If nothing else, she'd get that out of this whole mess : attack their food some more.

A woman in deep purple dress sided up to Nina, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. "Excuse me?"

It was the slight radiance of power that set Nina off. "Yes?"

"Good to meet you at last. I am the prophet Merlin, and you are Nina Drango gone astray from her path. Strange as this may sound from a prophet, I did not foresee you appearing here today."

"Even though you're the one who supposedly arranged for Rita to escape?" Nina said, and after a beat added, "As a _prophet_?"

"I can not so much predict the future as foresee fate's intent," she said. "And we had little plans left for this time. All I know is you must stand at his majesty's side soon and well, we have a saying in the circle of prophets : seize the day. Walk with me for a distance, will you?"

Merlin waited patiently as Nina piled her plate full. After that she brought Nina to a table under the arches at the side of the hall, which seated just two people : a young woman with long sandy hair and a beige and gold gown to compliment it, and an old man in fine green robes, who smelled of damp woods and might just have living mushrooms on his staff. Both radiated magic, but the woman was a magician only while the man was something ancient, wound deep into the world and the woods. He reminded her a little of Qhispe during the rare hours where she spoke with the spirits of the forest.

"Ah, lady Merlin," he said. "You found her."

"Esteemed princess Anne, dear lord of the forest, I would like you to meet Nina Drango," Merlin said.

"Oh ... not Lidfard? My apologies, but I was sure I heard her introduced thus."

"It's part of a scheme," Merlin said without batting an eye out of beat. "The kingdom unfortunately has some lasting ideas about hiring women."

Anne offered her a chair, which Nina took just to resume eating. Merlin sat between her and the old man.

"My best friend is a dragon," Anne said. "I was so glad that the most powerful king in the world now has an interest in disginguishing dragons from your run of the mill forces of darkness. When Grea came to the academy, people were so afraid of her on behalf of her heritage. To this day the memory still pains her, but they have learned that there are exceptions to rule even with those of demonic heritage."

"Right," Nina said, before looking at the old guy. "And your story?"

"You don't seem very interested in learning any of this."

She swallowed that she'd been on the receiving end of Charioce's limited mercy, and just said, "I'm a dragon myself, why would I be impressed?"

"Really? Does it not matter to you then that such progress is made?" Anne asked.

 _He brought them the power to build their prosperity on our backs._ Azazel's word now had the full picture behind it. All this glory, this beautiful castle, on the broken backs of demons and here he was! Whatever he was getting at, one thing was clear : he could do whatever he wanted. Turn humankind against the gods? Oh sure. Some inconveniences, but he was still enthroned. And now this, making use of dragons.

Dejected without an answer, Anne resumed eating her own meal. Nina felt a little bad for rebuffing the girl, she didn't know any better, but at the same time, she regretted her own naivety.

"Do you really think what this king does is worth it?" she asked the guy.

He smiled and pointed behind her. "They seem to think so."

Not too far off stood a small cluster of nobles around a man, whom Nina would swear she recognized from her village. Nobody she was close to, one of the men who'd gone to earn money but still.

"What is going on here?"

"The king has decided that demons who have made an effort to embrace humanity and discarded the blood of hell are an exception," the old guy said. "He's put out word that other dragons are welcome and any past grievances with knights are pardoned."

"Speaking of pardons, you'll have to pardon me," Merlin said. "I have an errand to attend to. Potions and spells, boring to you mundane folk I'm afraid."

Merlin glided off, but Nina caught up.

"Why?" Nina half blocked her way. "Are you going to trap my friends?"

"Oh no, my intentions are as sincere as those of the king. I genuinely want her to be removed alive. You see, your little friend has zombified all the dead vermin of the city and programmed them in such a way that upon her death they will attack. The king has a few beauty flaws with how he deals with, and I want that risk gone. Have a good evening, and take your time getting to know the king better. You clearly have missed a lot."

She patted Nina on the shoulder, leaving her alone with that lovely information.

Rita was a mass murderer too.

Nina returned to her spot at the table and systematically stuffed food in her face, and humoring Anne by asking about her friend. The story drifted away from her, all she felt was empty. When Charioce had already exhausted her horrors to give, there was nothing else.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Trismegistus closed the wall behind them, checked the last parts of his disguise, and off Favaro was.

Following Merlin's route made this one of the most boring missions ever. He encountered a servant once, who easily assumed he was one of the staff from a lower quarter, here to deliver some papers. In reality the bag Favaro carried had his tools. The only remotely exciting part was shooting a few sleep darts into the guards around Rita's prison, for which Belphegor had lent him some poison. Said guard were regular knights; as promised, not a hint of Onyx Knights anywhere in the upper quarters.

The knights were in the middle of complaining about that when Favaro rounded the corner, giving Favaro a hook.

"I saw them rushing by, is there an emergency? Should we evacuate?" he said in his most posh voice.

"Do not concern yourself, it is merely a precaution," the nearest knight said. "It is—"

He slumped to the ground, dart sticking out of his neck. The other knight drew his sword, only to have it knocked away by Favaro. In the same motion, he caught the sword before it clattered to the ground and pinched the dart in the knight's wrist.

Both heaped on the ground, he took the keys.

There was a glass hole in the door, presumably to check on Rita. Her hands shackled in a wooden block, Rita sat at the back of a completely empty room, lit only by magic. He unlocked the door, stepped in, and Rita didn't even blink.

"You fool, they'll catch you in no time," Rita said.

"They won't. One, I'm much faster than before." He unlocked the shackles. "Two, the outer perimeter guards will have drawn in cause we put someone incredibly dangerous right next to the king."

It took Rita a beat to say, "You sent Nina?"

"How'd you guess?"

"The castle has been buzzing about the mysterious relation between the dragon turned girl and the king who tamed her."

"How'd you even hear that in here?" The room was more barren than a desert.

"I'm not always here, and I learned a few new tricks since they gave me moldable ichor. Speaking of that, I want to make a house call on the way out."

"No way," Favaro said. "We're getting out of here right away."

"The king and the Onyx Knights will be occupied for the duration of the ball, right? So bring me to the king's quarters."

"Look, Rita—"

Rita launched her arm at him, sending him flying back. By the time he was up, the arm was back on Rita's joints and out the door with her. So much for a boring mission.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Charioce had a spectacularly dull ball this evening. His wrist throbbed, the bracelet stinging deep. The pain was quite welcome because it grounded him to reality. The king of Manaria whose name kept slipping his mind had just blabbered about his academic accomplishments for two hours before finally, _finally_ hauling his ass to the dance floor. Charioce used that to excuse himself to his blissfully isolated throne, as far as one can be isolated in a giant ballroom with a line of noblewomen bowing before him in the vain hope he'd pick one for a dance. They'd done it for seven years and not once had he taken that invitation, regardless of the whispers and scorn, and yet they kept coming. Pests.

Off to the side, a servant stood atop the stairway and subtly signalled a potential problem. Oh thank fate a distraction please let it be urgent and give him a non royally offensive excuse to get away now. He raise dhis hand, and the servant approached with a wine glass as cover, whispering that an enemy had infiltrated the premises and his Onyx Knights would like to evacuate him this instant.

He took the glass and considered why they hadn't told him what kind of enemy, George knew better than to be vague—

A woman in bright blue dress marched through the dancing crowd, past the bowing women and ...

Oh fuck.

Nina stopped at the bottom of the stairway before his throne and met his eyes straight on, no bowing. She'd been cute before, now she was lovely and tender vision among dull faces, offering her hand without a hint of shame.

Fate. Dear, dear fate. Really? That was _not_ the distraction he'd wanted. This was a problem in and of itself. He didn't want to make this decision here! Or at all.

Arrest her was the most needed choice, but not the most practical. Politically he didn't want to make a scene. And some base level instinct that he'd fought so hard to discard across the years insisted it was imperviously important he go to the pretty girl.

And yet, damn it all, he left his throne and to hell he strode.

When he took her hand, Nina held him as much as he did her, no longer the dainty flower touch she'd had in the days of careless dating. Like a bear to honey, knowing he'd get stung he led her to the dance floor, or maybe she led him. Was that a self satisfied smile on her face?

Murmurs of surprise went through the crowd, and the dance floor emptied. They did not matter anymore.

As they stood across each other, for the first time he found it difficult to read her. Perhaps only for knowing he had been so wrong before, but now he could not decipher whether the sparkle in her eyes was real, false, or real in a way she used to set a trap. And there was a trap, he did not doubt that anymore.

At the first notes, Nina let him lead her into dance.

"Why are you here?" he whispered as he put his hand on the small of her back.

"I felt we weren't done talking yet. You left like lightning."

She squeezed his hand, pulled him just a little off balance, and just like that she claimed the lead. He braced against the ground and pulled her back into a swing around him. "Careful now, don't come too close to the audience."

Nina was in no way accustomed to waltzing and did not even try to follow the patterns, inventing her own along the way. She never mimiced, but she matched his every move. He should have known she was a natural born dancer, despite her initial reluctance over knowing the steps.

As the music swelled, he whispered, "Well, what else is there to say?"

"Everyone in this entire area will die when you bring Bahamut here," Nina said. "Unless you tell the gods, who can still raise a shield. They'll do it, some out of mercy, some for their own benefit, but they _will_ be there for your people when you are not. Or do you plan to send everyone to another province?"

"Did the rebellion send you as an ambassador to deliver that?"

"I sent myself. There were loud objections," Nina said. "You can imagine at least one of them. You know him well enough by now, and maybe you can also imagine an answer to my question. Do you have any plans at all to even warn your own citizens of the oncoming catastrophy?"

She just didn't understand. To obtain the best of humankind, sometimes one had to let a troublesome situation persist. Those who endured were worth it to carry the legacy.

"You weren't, were you?"

All things considered, it would be better if Nina weren't so inquisitive. He liked her better when she was naive and content in it, her questions began to irritate him. He could accept her as his enemy, but as a nag?

"There's no saying the gods will be strong enough, of course. They needed the demons last time. Too bad you ruined them, but it might not be too late yet. If only everyone knew," Nina said. "You know, it's weird they don't notice Bahamut coming. What are you doing that keeps them from noticing it?"

"Surely you didn't take this huge risk just to ask me that, when you could just send a letter?"

"You're very hard to read that way."

"And I'm less so now?" he said, inwardly laughing and knowing that outward he'd be as mysterious as those letters. Nina might not realize it, but she found mysteries oh so enticing.

Nina didn't answer right away — poor girl was no good at pretense — so he filled the lull with a whisper of his own, "There is so much more to us than fate's decree. We would not have been chosen if we weren't well matched in some way. What we do with that symmetry is up to us, however, or fate would not struggle so hard to correct the of course we were forced down lately. That said, there is one element of fate that I do no like."

Nina resisted being spun in a circle and instead mimicked his pose, firm hold on his arm. "And that would be?"

"You won't be by my side, which is fine with me. I can manage on my own. But if I die in the fight against Bahamut, I would leave a world that would hunt you down," he said. "I would prefer you to live, so for you I'm making a few changes to my legacy. Have you had a look around the ballroom before you approached me?"

"I've met the forest dragon and the princess," she said. "Why are there here?"

"For you, of course."

"What?"

"Right now, I'm in no position to retract your conviction," he said. Strictly speaking, that wasn't true. He could do it, but it'd raise eyebrows. That was annoying. "Dromos may kill me yet, and you may live to guide these people. What it would mean for a kingdom to have an immortal guardian to always ensure the righteous law is followed?"

Nina lost the step of her pace and he smoothly recalibrated, leading her into the final notes of the music. The next dance would be of a different kind altogether, one she had learned no more than this one, but would have less talent for.

"What are you getting at?" she muttered, wide doe eyes locking onto him at last.

"I ask that you stay with me for the sake of all you care about."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita ended up further above, passing through servants routes into rich quarters. It was empty save one room with a loom in it, where a zombie sat weaving. It was a remarkable whole zombie, but the shining white eyes betrayed its lack of awareness.

Rita pulled this zombie from its place, centering it on the floor. A spell circle had been drawn there, smudged until Rita fixed it was a nearby dip of some kind. On the shelves stood a lot of materials normal to her stations.

"Rita, what the hell is this?"

"My project," Rita said. "It's why Charioce kept me around. I've been postponing on completion, so I have to hurry. It's an interesting case, you know, she wandered off on her own."

Favaro had the impression he'd just get another arm to the face when he tried arguing, so he stood by the door to keep guard.

Rita coughed up a glowing purple marble, chanted some crap, set some goo on fire and other magical mumbo jumbo. At last, the purple marble bled empty and set the circle alight before bleeding into the corpse.

The zombie twitched alive, its eyes morphing away from the glow into solid dark pupils.

"What ..." the woman muttered as she looked around.

"Klarimiani, right?" Rita asked.

"Yes ... you are ... I don't understand ..."

"Do you know where you are? Can you tell me what you remember?"

"In the castle ... but I don't know how I got here. You're the first thing I remember, but ... where was the king? Why ..."

"You were a lifeless zombie controlled by my illusionary mist to act in a way that matched your old life. It's a shaky system that draws on an ectoplastic ghoul imprint for its information. You remember things from the point forth of my giving you a living brain," Rita said. "Since it is an unformatted brain and the system still controlled you, you had no cognitive functions to employ, but basic functions like senses and memory were active since then. What I did just now was give you a soul. I was curious to see whether that'd connect your brain with the life imprint from the past, it appears to have worked."

Rita flicked the woman's head, who flinched. "Pain processing seems good too."

"W-why did you do this to me?"

"I did something to a corpse, lest I become one. More than I am anyway. And of course, beyond that there is scientific curiosity," Rita said. "I'd like you to come with us so I can learn more."

She wildly shook her head. "My son is here."

"Are you sure? You are a demon now," Rita said. "If you can't pass for a human, you will die. Your son can and will kill people he loves to preserve his reputation, you know."

"Hold it," Favaro said. "How is she a demon now?"

"A _human_ soul needs a brain to settle in," Rita said. "A demon soul needs ichor. Whatever human brain I grew in there would be a new person, but a demon soul I could maybe put the imago onto. Really, souls are little more than glue to keep things steady in a world with mind magic."

"Where did you get a demon soul?" Favaro asked.

Rita smiled in a way that drove chills up Favaro's spine. "I ripped it out of one, chewed it over till I knew what I wanted, and you see, I like to recycle."

"You're a monster," the woman whispered.

Rita patted her on the shoulder, before plucking one of her hairs. When Rita ran it through her lips, it started writting on its own. "Yes, I suppose I am in more than one way. That's why your son liked what I do. I wonder whether he'll like you though, the way you are."

She snatched a knife from Favaro's boot and grabbed the woman's arm, cutting it off. Favaro could only grab a nearby cloth to muffle her screams, while Rita stuffed the hand in his bag.

" _Now_ I'm ready to go. Will we be leaving by dragon, or is she too busy making out with the king?"

"What?" the zombie woman snapped; her pain seemed to be gone already. Just a reflex, then?

Favaro couldn't help but grin and lay it on. "Ma'am, there comes a time in life when you have to acknowldge your kids grow up and sometimes have very unusual kinks. Your son wants to bang my student, a dragon. In fact, you should definitely let him know I don't approve of him, though I bet he expects that. Man, he's such a pain in the ass. Wants my position as world savior, wants to kill me, wants to bang my student. Honestly, the youth these days."

The zombie looked like she had died a second time, which he was happy to leave her as.

 **· · · · · · ·**

She'd neatly positioned her irrational desires against her solid goal the way he did, only for him to make a rational offer.

Think, keep her thoughts on the goal ... If she surrendered now, that would leave all her friends vulnrable. But she could buy time and ... and ... hey ... wait a second ...

"You didn't offer me this before or after you enslaved me on that island ... how can I hear your offer as anything but a promise for a more luxurious slavery? Who will kill me in the end of _that_?"

"No one if you play it right," he said. "Before, you just played on the wrong side."

"You know, that could have been different. I was a bigger fool once." She pushed against his grip, and he took a willing step back. "If you'd have told everyone you planned to fight Bahamut, old me would never even have considered joining the rebellion."

He pushed her off in such a way as to start a swing and simply said, "We all make mistakes."

First impulse was to hear that as him admitting his own mistakes, but he might as well mean her.

"As you did by coming here. Have you forgotten I am always watched?"

"I'm well aware they always surround you," Nina said. That was the whole point of her being here.

"Then you should prepare to fight for your life once you leave." As he leaned in closer during the turn, he whispered, "After all, not too long ago I gave my knights this order regarding you : _kill it on sight_."

Shock had her trip, with Charioce effortlessly compensating. She found her pace, even as a sharp pain went through her gut. It wasn't news that he might order her death, he had done it before. But to hear him say it so casually connected it deeper. Threads pulling far away memories even closer together since the blue caves, demanding to be heard. The man who loved her had tried to kill her once, and would do so again if it was convenient.

"They'll be too late." Her voice came out so shaky, Charioce chuckled at it. The first smile he showed.

She hooked her hand behind his neck, growing out her claws just behind his collar. As she grazed the points over his skin, they already knew she wouldn't go through with it.

"You're not here to kill me," he said. "You haven't learned how yet. Don't worry, whatever you are a distracting from, you do a fine job. As always."

He swung her into the next sequence, never letting go. Nina didn't remove her claws.

"Let us say for a thought experiment that you or someone else _were_ capable of killing me, and had ended up in this room through some other means that a tacit surrender — don't look like that, that is what you did — and presume that I had no successor. Ask yourself : would you kill me here knowing you wouldn't make it out alive? I have the strength to die for my faithful purpose. Do you?"

"Your death ..." The pink flame danced around her, she grasped with all might at the will to disperse it. " ... doesn't have to be. You've made enemies of the people who could save you."

"Hmm." He wasn't even interested. " _You_ aren't dead yet because they also have orders to not cause a complicated political scene. So why not finish the dance and let me show you something?"

Her eyes burned, and she said no more untill the music ended.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita didn't know the way to Favaro's rendezvous point, so they had to knock out a few servants along the way. She bit as it convenienced her; which was little. Without her staff her range was limited. Damn her frail human body.

Trismegistus waited for them at a random passage. Nobody else was there.

"How did you get this whole scheme up anyway? Do you have an insider?" Rita asked.

"Believe it or not, Merlin wants you gone," Favaro said.

"Oh, good, I was afraid she wouldn't take the hint. Are you contact with her?"

"Why are you suddenly so eager for that?" Favaro asked.

"I should have my cane back," Rita said. "Either Merlin has it or it is on her quarters. We should try. If it works we can end it all this very evening. Maybe you can feign having run into trouble and approach her for further assistance?"

"Nah, we're getting outta here," Favaro said.

Rita kicked him and Trismegistus in the shins. "You don't get it, do you? If I have precise control, I can decide who lives and dies."

On her raised hand landed a mosquito. With his enhanced sight, Favaro would be able to see the glowing eyes and shrivelled body. The alchemist and hunter didn't quite go pale through their make up, but the widening eyes made it clear enough. Not fans then.

"They had me zombify a dragon in the beginning, I took some liberties. These zombies are mine, but I cannot give them orders without my cane. They'll go wild if I die though," Rita said. "They cannot bypass that barrier, but everyone outside would be dead when they do. Now, if I were to control them, we could wipe out all the pesky aristrocracy, the armies, even Charioce."

"Uncontrolled mass murder or controlled, eh?" Trismegistis said. "Honestly, I don't give a shit as long as you leave me out of it, but Azazel and the other demons wanna keep Jeanne d'Arc as an ally."

"Oh, but we don't need her alliance once I am done," she said. "I have no forgiven Charioce for my imprisonment and taking Kaisar and Azazel hostage. Or having Kaisar's unconditional devotion. I owe him a _true_ city of the dead."

"It's a miracle you're friends with Kaisar," Favaro said.

Really, it was.

"We don't know where Merlin is anyway," Trismegistus said. "She just gave us directions and that was it."

Well, maybe later.

 **· · · · · · ·**

When the music ended he offered his arm. Quietly, Nina hooked it and followed.

Still quiet, Nina lightly hooked his arm and followed. Overseeing the ballroom was a line of balconies, the central one opposite of the throne being the finest. Rich red fabric lines it, thick enough to muffle some of the sound even from below. A dinner had been decked on the table, but only one man was present.

Once they were alone, Chris said, "Now, how did you get in here?"

Like she'd tell him.

"I will find out regardless, but how and through whom I find out may determine my response. Perhaps my Onyx Knights will, and they do as they always do : jail them, question them. No doubt you have an idea already what the procedure is."

If even Azazel for all his centuries and power could be scarred the way he was, it had to be severe. Nobody should have that again, and sometimes Charioce was lenient to her.

"Kaisar Lidfard brought me here," she said before stuffing a turkey leg in her mouth and being very rude with the chewing noises.

"Of course. No need to excuse him, it is his house I left the slums through."

Someone knocked on the door, before opening without invitation. A black armored helmet peaked int. "Your majesty?"

"All is under control," he said while waving him off. "And make sure the door is guarded to prevent anyone from entering. Include our royal guests, but excluding the expanded order. Call for them."

The knight nodded and shut the door.

"Pardon that too, they are rather nervous about their pending orders."

Waiting to kill her. The dead bird on her plate made her rather nauseous all of a sudden, and the dragon begged to be unleashed.

She clenched her hands, willing her pulse to steady. He had already sentenced her to death on the island, she _knew_ that, but the walls crept closer, it was too small here, she had to get out, but if she ran she would die, still safe here ... but how could she be safe with a man who would see her executed?

A treacherous tremble crept into her voice as she whispered, "Or you could just tell them not to."

"My life is dedicated to my duties. I will not allow you to crack my resolve even a little," he said, cold as ever. "At least, no further. You are already within my mind and as much as I wish I cannot get you out."

He stood, walking to a fine painting in the walls.

"The siege on Cocytys," he said, hovering his hand over the image of boiling caverns and monstrous demons felled under green power. A six winged demon hovered across the floating city in the distance.

When she said nothing, he led her to the opposite wall. "This one is new. There is no more need for secrecy, so it was fit to add."

Heaven invaded, this time the destination being a pyramid of green power, and the depiction of the gods wasn't much nicer than the demons.

"I used to work somewhere you put one of these pictures glorifying you," Nina said. "I think it's all a lie."

"This happened, what is a lie about it?"

"That this is the full story," Nina said. "And that's not even the worst you're leaving out. If Bahamut truly comes regardless of you, then stand down. Tell the world it's coming. You can end all the war right this instant just by telling the truth, from there on we can work together to dissolve this."

He just pried off something from the framework, which he laid in her hand. "Do you know what a pearl is? A tiny grain of sand that got into the shell of a mollusc, causing it endless pain. To soothe this, it layers it with countless crystals."

"Really? You're not even going to answer me?"

"I have answered you plenty of times, there is no need to repeat myself. I thought perhaps you will understand what you can hold : a wound turned to a jewel."

Nina closed her hand around the thing. "It's pretty and pointless."

"Is it now?"

Someone knocked on the door again.

"I have to return to the ballroom," he said. "Manaria's king must not feel neglected too long. In the mean time, there are a few more people you should meet."

"I've met the princess and the forest dragon," Nina said stiffly. "And I think I saw someone from my village. What is ... " Her voice broke.

In stepped an all too familiar face, now decked out in formal clothing of the kingdom rather than commoner rags.

"Ladis?" Nina stammered.

Ladislao ruffled through her hair, claws scraping across her scalp, as he walked past her and took a chair opposite of hers. "You've become a worse daughter, Nina. You're too lucky the king still favors you."

"What are you doing here?"

"I found the best possible job : alongside the Onyx Knights, guarding the king against inconveniences. I have made sure a few of my friends joined just now, so we can all work together on the final stage of removing our tribe from hell's legacy. We should have a word, don't you think?"

Favaro and Trismegistus couldn't fight a swarm of dragons. Charioce left without another look at her, and Nina sat back down.

 **· · · · · · ·**

So much running. Not that Rita could get tired. Just miffed. They went through several houses — it appeared that in her absence, the demon resistance had finally obtained themselves some human allies.

She had expected Kaisar to finally join them but apparently that was not part of the plan. Moron. Huge chance Charioce might use him to compell her to return, if he wasn't pleased with his new mom.

Close to the barrier, Azazel joined them.

"Hey, zombie girl."

Oh wow, quite sociable by Azazel's standards. "Don't get sappy now. I'm told this was Cerberus's plan, why did you agree to it?"

"Everyone else wanted to do it," he grumbled.

"Stupid."

"I've been saying that. Where's Nina?"

"We don't know. The Onyx Knights all gathered around the ballroom last time we checked, so she's probably still there."

While everyone else caught their breath, Rita inspected the barrier. She had no inherent magical senses, but a few quick analysis fields told her a few interesting things : this barrier didn't draw on hell's power, like she herself did.

A hole flickered open, letting them pass. Favaro muttered a thanks at a certain Angra Mainyu before the hole closed.

They passed into the nearest house, which had some walls knocked out. A bunch of familiar demons waited here, including some zombies on guard and humans.

"Amira? I need back up," Favaro said to thin air.

"Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do." And to cement that, she was approached by a very blond and shiny Mugaro.

"Were you okay in the castle? Do you need healing?" Mugaro asked. "It's hard to tell what you need, the way you are, so I need details."

"I am quite fine, actually," Rita said. "What do you mean, healing?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

"... and we could settle in the hills across the river to actually build a proper city for ourselves. No pretending to be humans in huts, no hiding under the canopy," said a young man Nina hadn't been told the name of.

Ladis let them talk while he himself sat with a smug grin opposite of Nina.

She didn't understand why he would be here, but she wasn't surprised anymore. After learning horrible truths about Azazel, Chris, Favaro and Rita, that her dear uncle was also morally challenged? Why not?

They had all these ideas of turning the dragon tribe to a glorious support for Charioce's regime, so their true potential could thrive in that shadow. All the hatred for hell that her tribe held turned from defense to weapon. Charioce no longer would have to fear retribution from the demons, should he falter in using Dromos. Ladis and his friends would happily fight that war from the sound of it.

Back when Ladislao had talked of making a better town, it'd sound like a dream, and he had joked she'd help. She was named _dream_ , after all. Maybe that's why he looked so strangely satisfied.

She didn't talk to him, but tried to talk to the others. Who else was here? Did the elders know? What about Qhispe, was she back yet? They didn't give her anything clear all the time, and jested on her being a princess who shouldn't fret.

Nina was just about to kick something off a chair and demand clarity when a summoning circle spun open below her. She ended up kicked herself off her chair, rolling against the wall and op on her feet. Quick, she blocked the flow further. She had to solve this and keep others from trouble. Ignoring the stares, she set her hands together and prayed to Mugaro.

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Why in chaos _isn't it working_?" Azazel snarled.

Mugaro tugged at his wings. "Nina says Charioce has one of her relatives, she can't leave."

"What? How did _that_ happen?"

"I don't know, I can't talk back," Mugaro said. "But she wants you to stop summoning, it'll be suspicious. She's still under cover of Kaisar's story."

"How long can _that_ last? We're going to that damn castle now!"

Out were his wings, and out where Belphegor and Cerberus holding him down with all might. Belphegor hooked a wing over Azazel's, but they just barely kept him on the ground.

"To answer your question, pretty long if they play it right," Rita said. "Ladies in waiting is a job where noblewomen stay at the castle to serve a woman of higher rank."

Favaro piped up with, "Besides, they still have that zombie dragon, and neither me nor Trismegistus have the ranged power the kid does, so unless you're sending Mugaro out, we're staying. Amira's gone to check out the problem as we speak."

Azazel shook them off, but did stay put. "So when _do_ we move?"

"Azazel looked back at Mugaro, who said in utter confusion, "She wants to stay. She says they won't come and it isn't safe and we should stay away."

"For how long?"

"Chill," Favaro said. "This is Nina's call. We can't even go rescue her without Merlin clearing us a path, Amira's got her limits. Going back in there is suicide."

"Nina will be fine," Rita said. "As long as she follows the rules."

"You don't get it! He has her in love with him and she makes stupid choices because of it!" Azazel snapped, and took a few seconds to realize Mugaro had heard it.

"Oh that," Rita said. "I suppose you all can explain me more about those rumors I heard?"

Mugaro looked frightened again, but kept quiet and shrunk away, and Azazel remembered none of these people, especially Mugaro, would be safe if he left them alone to start a fight. He stayed.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Meeting the next batch of refugees went more smoothly this time, as Sofiel had a better idea what to do. Under disguise of shipment of divine materials to some mortal lord, her ships brought them to a mansion. In its cellars, they would open gates to Arligau's town.

Sofiel's gates only allowed three tops to pass, and she needed breaks. The unicorn lasted longer, but was also limited to smaller gates. Jeanne stayed on the entrance side until the last were through, then left herself.

When Jeanne arrived on the other end, she found only the refugees huddled in the woods. The unicorn's ears twitched anxiously.

Jeanne couldn't sense Mirin anywhere nearby, but Arligau would be better suited anyway.

The town was unusually quiet. Not because anyone slept; a lot of the sleeping bunks were entire empty. The first person she found was an elderly demon sitting on the ground to stitch clothes.

"What is going on?" Jeanne asked as she knelt down.

"They went down to the lord. Be respectful." The demon didn't meet her eyes and slightly shivered. It might just be the autumn cold, but ...

"I don't know about the people, but this place has changed. I dare say, it's becoming a hell nexus," Sofiel said.

Jeanne got the escapees settled in a newly built house. After this she rejoined Sofiel, who had found human workers from the Valerian army. They confirmed a project deep inside the mines. Now Jeanne concentrated, there was a mild increase in the demonic radiance, and it came from below. Sofiel and her followed it.

Her last time in underground tunnels working on great magic bore only pain for Jeanne. Remaining calm when going inside took effort. Aware of each step, she descended.

Deep in the mines the torches flickered more the closer they came to the disruption. What began as a mild shimmer turned into a drumming, until they reached a balcony overlooking a vast hall. Within it the pale light of a gate expanded into countless rings. All around, demons worked to expand the room and carve wider tunnels.

Sofiel flew Jeanne down. The workers by and large ignored them, strict in fear even though there were no whips and nary a human.

Before the pulsing light stood an angel with four wings, one set white and the other black. They shone like heavenly wings, but the massive horns curling up from a white head assured Jeanne this wasn't simply a gray winged angel. Heaven had no horns.

She was about to meet this one, but Sofiel grabbed her arm.

"Jeanne, don't move. That is _Lucifer_ ," she whispered in fear.

At his name, he turned to them. Dropping his hand and the spell he apparently had worked on, he moved across the rough space as if he nothing were more natural than that he owned the place.

Jeanne recalled a mention he'd had six wings, but then again, Azazel had lost a set of wings at the fall of Cocytus. What he had not lost was the divine aura. Gabriel lacked it a little, but Michael, Raphael and Uriel had possessed this subtle influence even from afar. Beyond regal bearing, there was a radiant authority within them, which Jeanne had once called divine eminence. Now faced with Lucifer possessing the same, she could only call it the weight of ages forced out as magic. With every step, the world around lost relevance.

"Ah, Jeanne d'Arc," he said lightly. "Quite useful you show up at this time. There are a few matters you could bear to explain."

He spoke so softly, it didn't fit the awe he demanded.

For good measure, she bowed to him. "Lord Lucifer, it is an honor to meet you."

"Hardly," he said. "Many in heaven would consider you disgraced merely by lowering your head to me."

When she stood straight again, he'd turned his attention to Sofiel. "And you would be?"

"Sofiel, attendant to Raphael's court and soon to be archangel," she said.

"Oh. I suppose the rumors of my ex colleagues's demise is true then," he said.

"How can you not know when they upheld the barrier?" Sofiel exclaimed, only to twitch when Lucifer narrowed his eyes at her.

"I only got out once in the past decade," he said. "For all I knew, they were injured only. The saint must be something with power to murder them so thoroughly."

Jeanne pressed her lips together and a sting of pain to the back of her mind, but couldn't defy the gutwrenching feeling that summoned. Michael ...

Sofiel stepped in by asking what he intended to do here, which caused a rehash of Reinier's explanation, with Sofiel unable to draw a hint on whether Lucifer other plans.

Jeanne wouldn't put that past him. This demon had spent milleniums on his throne with the possibility to reign in his people, and yet had not done so. Azazel at his worst had been his chosen right hand, and she knew for a fact that demons under Lucifer had also raided despite being part of the less aggressive faction. Azazel might've changed, and maybe Lucifer had that potential, but as it stood she wasn't to count on that. What they had here was an overlord marked by inaction, and to be feared when he moved.

Lucifer wasn't the least bit impressed with Sofiel or the demon liberation movement, that much was clear. He shot down any defense she had for heaven's methods, wasn't interested in sending out guards for the underground escape network, and turned it back on heaven's incompetence quite easily.

"There is of course the matter of Charioce's new ally. Merlin is not only very powerful even without tapping her demonic heritage outright, she has an implausible amount of luck. Why did heaven release her? It was so _predictable_ she would join the humans again."

Azazel had either not been in touch, or Lucifer was playing something.

"Well?" Lucifer tapped his claws on the metal railing, scratching them just enough to leave a mark.

"Heaven did not release her. A wayward god on earth saw it fit to join a demonic rebellion and poached her from heaven," Sofiel said.

"Indeed? According to my sources, there are two bounty gods on earth. Perhaps you mean exiled, rather than wayward?"

"... yes." The way Sofiel folded her wings closer, she couldn't make herself smaller without drawing them in.

"I see. Now, where is your child?" Lucifer asked. "It would be most useful to have — what was the name again, El Mugaro? — involved in the upcoming attack."

"My child is safe. Surely you understand I have no desire to tell an enemy of heaven what nur circumstances are?"

There was the tapping on the metal again, she was certain now he was irriated with the diversions.

She waited with held breath, only for him to teleport away. Sofiel relaxed after a few moments. "He's nowhere near, I can't sense him anywhere."

Jeanne shook off the unease and said, "Azazel has not been in touch with him. It has to be for a reason related to El Mugaro. Though, perhaps we can tell him about Bahamut?"

Sofiel nodded. "As long as it does not become a tool in heaven, we should. I would have thought of it, if not for him being so ... so ... "

"He intimidates me too," Jeanne said. "I think he means to. Perhaps we can win some trust be informing him of Bahamut, let's try to remember next time. We know what to prepare for now."

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **September 29**

 **· · · · · · ·**

Oh by all order and superiority and whatever else why was she in the castle what. What. Why. Was this fate's plan, or did fate actually gets its almighty arm chewed off by Bahamut? His own plan was very simple : create an environment where Nina might get pardoned without trouble for his reign, should she choose to take it. She wasn't supposed to show up while he was still working on it.

On top of that Rita was gone. His plans for his mother were less defined, but that didn't matter anymore. If she was dead, she was dead and got no role to play in his legacy or even Nina's position in court. He needed her a little more for the latter now, because he hadn't really worked on filling his court with people loyal outside of the Onyx Knights — they'd have been competition.

The chances of getting Rita back before he fought Bahamut were slim. That barrier refused to budge, so he'd let go this project, and handle the painful cleaning himself. Maybe he'd catch some sleep too, he had spent all of last night hanging around Nina's room in case any of his Onyx Knights got any _ideas_. No killing her as long as there was a chance she'd come in line.

The fog was absent within his inner sanctum by now as he wanted to see progress clearly, but when she was moved around rooms it was under guise of the fog. The handmaidens had a good pay and firm protocol that kept them quiet. The fact that some cleaners came screaming down the hall was a firm cue the mist's illusionary properties had gone, but his mother shouldn't even be going anywhere without him escorting her. Because why would anything go exactly as planned lately, right?

He entered his room, but didn't find his mother gnawing on anyone's brains. Odd, something must've startled them maids.

As usual, she was at the loom. Not as usual, her movement was frantic, almost like real life when faced with a deadline. Across time, the illusion had become clearer, but the fact her movements were too fine and she did not bleed when pricking herself gave her undeadness away.

Still, he allowed himself a crack of illusion when he said, "Mother, I regret to inform you I might have let my date move in without informing you."

"Of course, you didn't ask me about the grave either."

... that was _not_ the typical zombie response.

"Are you here?" he asked.

"You tell me, son. I'm suddenly here. I'm been here for a while already, but I didn't think anything." She stood up, facing him not with glowing white eyes, but human eyes. Her skin remained sallow and veined, but her expression was human. Specifically, pissed off.

She pulled her shirt up. "And possessed you to bring me back like this?"

Her stomach had been clawed open. No organs, just sticky dark ichor.

"Well? I'm waiting, son."

"It appears the zombie master was holding out on me. Is this her farewell gift?"

"She didn't tell me." His mother threw her hands in the air. "However, she told me a few other things I did not like, such as : making out with a dragon? Just so you know, compatibility and marriage issues aside, I do not agree with fornicating outside of humankind."

Oh fuck it. He was so not ready to have this conversation. Without another word, he slipped out of the room and locked the door, ignoring the banging and shouting on the other side.

 **· · · · · · ·**

In prayer, Nina told Mugaro she was alright. She'd been given a nice room and everyone believed she was Kaisar's long lost sister, being introduced to the court as part of reparations for the unjust disgrace Kaisar's family had suffered. She wanted to stay because her family was around and see what they were up to, but asked that they be ready to summon her at any time. If Amira could be around, she'd be grateful. Last, she told Mugaro to ask Azazel why she was pretty sure the king wouldn't just kill her.

Mugaro nurself had a nice room now, not as clean and empty as heaven, cozy like the clocktower, but with better stuff. Despite that, ne couldn't be at ease.

When Azazel returned from work, Mugaro was still up, waiting in the living room. "Nina says you have to explain me something. It's the thing you shouted about yesterday, right?"

He froze for a moment, before sitting next to nur. "She didn't know it was him when they first met, now she can't get rid of the feeling. But she won't join him, you don't have to be afraid of that."

"She's the one who let him into the slums, isn't she?"

Azazel only nodded.

"I can't help worrying. What if she does something dangerous again? I mean, I thought you were just good, and I thought Gabriel had the right idea even if she didn't feel the nicest, and I didn't see much of a problem with Odin either, and _Nina feels so kind_. None of those people felt all that evil, like the men who chased me and my mother, or many of the slavers. They still do things that hurt others. Why?"

"You're just seven. It'll make more sense when you get older."

"I _need_ it to make sense _now_ ," Mugaro said.

"Why?"

"I sneaked out of the barrier just a little the other day. Otya and Daurra aren't _anywhere_. They're really dead." Mugaro started tearing up. "They just died while I wasn't anywhere near. We're so powerless because we can't be everywhere."

By the end of it, Mugaro's eyes poured tears out. Azazel reluctantly put an arm and wing around nur, which did little to stave off the crying, but Mugaro didn't want him to leave.

"I'm scared," Mugaro said. "Aren't you?"

"It's not death itself that I fear, but what will fail if I die," he said. "And for what will happen to Nina ... I fear everything Charioce does." Every word came out strained, Mugaro felt Azazel might explode if he'd just had an excuse.

It was too much. Mugaro couldn't heal the entire world, no matter how hard ne tried to get better. The tears grew lesser only because ne ran out.

"I miss mother. She'll join us soon, right?"

"If she doesn't, I'll make her come, but I'm pretty sure I won't need to."

Two years ago, nur mother had left nur in the slaver's den with only the words that ne had to live at all costs, and someone would come to help. She definitely hadn't meant Azazel, and there hadn't been anyone else. Sometimes people said things to sound strong and hopeful, but it would only anything by chance.

 **· · · · · · ·**

At morning, Charioce hauled himself to his throne room for conference, yadda yadda yadda. After giving directions to his staff for the day — discussion how to integrate their armies in case of war with whoever was stupid enough to move next, going on a field drill — George approached on his own some time during that.

Taking a knee, he asked again, "What are your orders regarding the red dragon?"

"Kill her on sight once you can, but the orders not to cause a scene also stand. There should be no need for you to keep asking."

The man frowned, and didn't dismiss himself.

"Speak your mind," he said. "Do you have a problem with my decision regarding the red dragon?"

"You could have let her flee last night, knowing we would be around to carry out your orders. You keep her where we may not cause a scene, so we fear she has a hold on you that will get in the way during the moment of crisis."

"Have I let her get in the way of anything so far, by you opinion?"

"You did not need two hostages to control the zombie master, your majesty. The demon you spared now controls part of our city."

"Her escape from the island was entirely unplanned, I still have no idea how it occured," he said. "She would have been burried with all others had matters gone as I planned. You make a difficult case claiming I spared a demon for her sake, when she would be dead before him."

"Indeed," George said, very clearly not finding it all that indeed. "Still, we heard that demon tell you she is alive. May I ask what occurred during your foray into the occupied quarters?"

"You may not, but I will tell you since you already asked : I was testing the waters." Of a criminally cute girl. "There were a few things I managed to find out." Kissing was really amazing up until the dragon part. "Such as their lack of organization and powerful warriors." Look, it wasn't like being slammed into a wall mattered anything, he was just a little distracted with Azazel and when it came down to it there were a mere three. "The dragon remains their sole defense against us and she still is unwilling to harm me." Admittedly he had a weakness on _personally_ fighting her too.

That honestly was the most damning weakness of it. He could give the order for others to kill her with the barest hesitation and never falter on withdrawing it. But where he remained cold or even entertained at the suffering of others, it didn't appeal with her. She was ... well, someone to him. She belonged on the rich streets laughing, away from the lesser beings. If only she didn't keep putting herself on the wrong side.

George wasn't wrong to see weakness in him, but struggled to be tactical about : "Will you be putting her in the same room as the reason you kept the zombie master?"

"No, she is not joining my mother, because formally she is the long lost sister of Kaisar Lidfard and the princess of Manaria is curious about her, having requested her company."

"Said princess might _notice_ things," George said. "If you must play this game, I advise against straining the story."

"If you must warn me, I advise you do a better job. You have set forth no reason to doubt my committment to defeating our enemies. I have subjugated heaven and hell, and it will be no different with Bahamut. You are dismissed."

He flicked his hand at him, making sure the bracelet shone in the candle light, a reminder to George why he was the chosen one.

The stone within his bracelet was the master of the zommorod cores. It enhanced his performance and magic like no other, and no other could wield it like he did. One eye gone was a cheap price, and the very fact that he got away with just some blackened veins on his arm proved he was uniquely equipped. He would weather this temptation too, if it could even be called that. At the end of the day, Nina was still just an aimless maiden in love drawn to him, while he stood firm.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 _Kill it on sight. Don't cause a political scene._

How many ways did they have to follow both orders? Right now Nina trailed a group of court ladies around, who did their best to instruct her in the ways to behave, as personally requested by the king. Any step out of line, and she would be executed by the shadows. They'd spin a story where poor hapless Kaisar Lidfard had been deceived or something. Still, Chris was playing a dangerous game, if she was seen as a dragon. So she did what she did best : smile, force happiness and walk in line.

At noon, they had dinner in hanging gardens on the side of the castle away from the city. Nina couldn't join the chatter of the noble ladies, being unfamiliar with court drama, and uninteresting to them as far her own story was concerned. Hearing about poverty had quickly lost its appeal.

Besides, Nina happily excused herself to wander towards a woman in black dress who had just appeared below a willow. Time to poke Merlin a little.

Merlin tapped her cane on the tree's bark, but when Nina sided up, she smiled at her.

"Well there, how do you like the manner of your keeping?"

"The food's great," Nina said. "And so are the dresses. The company's awful though, so I came to see whether you're more engaging." And willing to spill some things about fate, what the point of her family being here was, and some weakness to make her stop being a threat to Mugaro.

"And how would I be so?"

"You could tell me why you betrayed us?" Nina asked.

"I cannot betray whom I owe no allegiance. My loyalty is to humankind alone," Merlin whispered. "As should yours be, you who required no purification to subtract yourself from hell. You who are so much further from it yet you drawn to the forces of hell more easily than I am."

"That's funny." Nina leaned against the tree. "Not too long ago, I described Charioce as being appealing cause he felt safe. He's got a death sentence on my head so I think my heart's a bad advisor. Why are _you_ drawn to Charioce?"

"His destiny is for the good of humankind, as ordained by fate," Merlin said. "I could serve no greater purpose."

"That's a job, and a bad one at that. What about your free time?"

"As a servant of fate, I am at all times ready to do my task."

Fate started to sound like a slave driver. "You should have free time, you know. Use it to think over stuff. Do you actually care for people?"

"That does not matter," Merlin said evenly.

"Sure it does, you're doing it for people, right?"

"Oh child. You don't understand how the world sticks together, or what makes right and wrong for the sake of the people. I have played with morality for centuries. Concessions here, concessions there, I've had to do things I condemned at other times. Fate transcends morality."

"Fate is a bully and I asked whether how you felt."

Merlin sighed deeply. "You are not very smart, unfortunately. Come, let me show you something."

Merlin opened a portal not unlike Nina had seen in heaven, but the sigils were unique. Passing it led them to a random walkway overlooking the knight's training grounds.

Humans were center in the sun, beyond a cate was another open space were demons in the same armor trained.

"The order of the Orleans Knights is based on my creation, the Knights of the Round Table. Knighthood is an ideal given shape, a structure that might last for centuries and steer people. There are those who only act for honor, or for people, or for glory, or for tradition, or for money, or a mixture of them. All have one goal, however, that binds them on the path of peace, in the name of the kingdom, for a better legacy. A worthy oath."

"Uuuuh ... you're saying motivation't matter?"

"Precisely," she said. "So I do not concern myself with such minutae as long as the job is done."

"But that's a pretty good indicator how people will act in different things and ... oh, you leave that to fate too."

"I cannot see the bigger picture in the way fate can, so of course."

Nina peered over the knights again and their synchronized movement. They started to look like pawns.

"Well, I'd feel better if I had an idea whether anything would protect the people of the city, should Bahamut arrive here. Fate should let me have that at least if it wants to set me back on my destined path."

Hint hint.

"I am uncertain what exactly the plan is. Since my betrayal of fate, the privilige of clear visions has been revoked from me, but I am certain something is in place to ensure their safety."

"That's going to need one hell of a barrier, and a lot of somethings."

Merlin didn't make eye contact anymore. "There are harsh sacrifices to be made, but the outcome will be the best possible. Something would have happened that had gotten the necesary parties in place."

So, Merlin couldn't know? Nina knew that trick all too well, as she'd happily exploit their perception of her as a frail little girl.

Fate was either petty, or aware that letting Merlin know something might make her more rebellious again. Fate had approved of Merlin meeting her today, and bringing her here, it was probably supposed to steer Nina in some direction. If only she had an idea what ... for all she knew, fate was reading her mind and accounting for her doubt of it.

"Think of it this way, the details are as obsolete as the past that cannot come back to alter the future, rather it is a road towards it. Fate is a guide who can see the road in advance. Whatever traveller dwells on the past road, or the rocks with which it is built?"

Why did just doing stuff have to be so complicated? If she could just see what fate did ... Mugaro could see things in the world others could not, but they couldn't introduce nur to Merlin and ... actually, a lot of things had gone wrong for Chris because of Mugaro, not just Jeanne and Azazel with their resistance to fate's inspiration.

Merlin wanted her to not consider motivations, but Nina bet fate didn't want her to consider method either. And it was selective with information.

Was there anything she herself was missing any crucial information?

Her eyes fell to the young blond man down there, sitting to the side with Dias. She knew him well, the man who had tried to murder her, and according to Cerberus, a racist and a glory hound.

If she hadn't cared for the demons then he would be ... a nice young man, not very attractive to her, but she'd happily throw his murder attempt behind herself. No dwelling on the past.

Allesand Visponti was underestimation manifest. Hadn't Kaisar been weirdly insistent they use Allesand instead of Dias?

Azazel refused to go to Helheimr for back up because he feared Mugaro would be used as a weapon. Take Mugaro _out_ of the equation, and add in knowing that wards, zombies and hybrids all had immunity ... all he had to do was offer a pact to Jeanne d'Arc to render her a terrifying warrior, enough to maybe get Lucifer to move. And Jeanne was already a general, right now only restrained because heaven hadn't turned her into a saint. If hell offered ... and Azazel didn't fear for Mugaro's life ...

If Mugaro died, Jeanne and Azazel would go to war much sooner.

If Chris not only had cast a death sentence on her, but doubled down on it not too long ago, then the death sentence he'd cast on Mugaro years ago would probably also still be in place. Especially after the siege.

Kill Mugaro on sight, she could just hear it in his tone now.

"A friend of mine told me that humans heal much longer than demons do," Nina said.

Merlin said nothing, but Nina dared betting that was confusion. Her information must not be so good, or better yet, Nina was acting outside of fate.

Better make a move then.

Nina peered down the wall. The height was too much if she jumped and she wanted to avoid her wings out, so she hiked up her dress and half climbed, half fell down in chunks. Lightly she landed on the lower level, ran for Allesand and dragged him into a corridor before he could even object.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he sputtered.

Nina faced him without letting go, and he went from affronted to stark terror.

"Sorry, I don't like to hurt people, but you're very likely going to kill someone I care about," Nina said, pulled him into the nearest room. There she threw him against the wall.

"Wh—aaarrrrrrghh!" The sickening crack of a shattered knee got a companion when Nina kicked at his other knee. Missing because he slumped, she broke his femur.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The young man wimphered on in fear, but Nina turned away and slammed the door.

Merlin waited outside, looking rather startled, but all she said was a cold, "You're stupid. Now you won't know who will be sent after your little friend."

"No, that's not how fate works. I'm just thinning the options," Nina said. "Your lord has to scramble for options if it needs someone like him."

If she could do this, the push of fate really did need preexisting traits. For whatever she felt for Chris, that meant she'd have to fight herself. Well, she could handle that.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Home at last, oh joy. What a mess. Demons all over the place Cerberus in charge of part, Belphegor in other parts, Azazel some kind of shadow king. Apparently Rita was obsolete as a doctor because Mugaro turned out to be a literal god tier healer, who could just make wards to share the basics of that with humans. So much for following her father's footsteps.

Ah well, her father's footsteps would've gotten boring anyway, and what Belphegor and Trismegistus were doing looked awfully enticing. Not to mention the Smaragd Guard. The question why only certain zommorods worked as implants just begged to be answered, but first she had to get a touch on the current status. Wouldn't want to start any dangerous experiments during a crisis situation.

The barrier wasn't coming down apparently because of some ancient force of hell was slightly less bored. Something about poking fate. Merlin tried playing the same game, and so did Favaro and guess who, Amira. Astral projection was a thing. Interesting, and frustating — so out of her field of expertise.

Azazel and Nina started the rebellion sequel, now starring various human factions they weren't close with. The doctor's guild was distantly involved even. Too bad they'd been to heaven and pretty much ruined their chances for divine support, and this wasn't the first time Nina had hurled herself at Charioce. Azazel did a piss poor job not exploding over that, while Kaisar did a piss poor job actually exploding overthe countless reasons he had to defect already. Really, what his problem? How much more kicks did he need?

Cerberus summoned her at some point during the morning.

"So how much zombies can you make for us?" Cerberus asked right away. "We sure could use an army in case that barrier goes down."

"None, I need my cane to do that remotely. Without it I have to bite every corpse individually, and I can't control them as easily."

"Ugh. We picked the worst time to start objecting to mass murder," Cerberus whined.

"We?"

Cerberus grit her teeth. "Look, I have a good reason to not want to mass murder humans, okay. I'm the matron demon of community, dammit."

"Oh goody. So you got me out to do nothing useful?"

"What, did you want to stay?"

"I had a few interesting projects running. Here, I'm not even useful as a doctor anymore," Rita shrugged. "Ah well, I'll happily occupy myself with Belphegor's zommorod and mystery machine projects."

"Oooh, wait a second." Cerberus folded in on herself, replaced by a monstrous feathered dog with two wounds aside of her neck. She regurgigated a piece of ichor crafted meat before shifting back to her cutesy humanoid form.

"I've been told you can do fun things with the flesh of fallen angels."

Rita gave one of her rare smiles, just to humor her. In her ever private mind, she thrilled with excitement. She was getting so much toys this year.

Time to settle back and get herself a good working ground.

The slums were different in many ways, most relevant to Rita was the resurgance of profession : demons had begun production of various useful things, like glass and vials and metal thread, the sort of things she'd required for her work in the castle. Belphegor was already building a laboratory, though it went slow due to her other occupations. Rita took the liberty of occupying it. She had Olivia's flesh and bones stored in a cannister, before turning to a private room in which a number of tools were neatly stored with labels.

Durahanem tapped her on the shoulder. "What're you doing here?"

"Solving your mysteries," Rita said, gesturing at the weird tools they'd snatched from Olivia. "What is this all?"

"You're not ... oh, screw it. That's a set up Olivia had right below the amphitheater. Furfur was supposed to do something there to help her figure out what Azazel's specialty was. No idea what he did there otherwise."

Without touching anything, Rita observed all the materials. There was a lot of small stuff, some even biotechnical. She got about halfway through when Durahanem called her out, to present her with a number of people.

Lined up in the foyer were a few very nervous living humans, a few corpses, and Mugaro.

"You sure changed," Rita said, only giving the child a brief glance. The other people were more interesting, there was something wrong with them in a way Rita wouldn't have been able to place if Furfur hadn't told her about eating souls.

"Hey Rita," Mugaro said with forced cheer; if Rita had to guess ne was ill at ease with these people. "I'm glad you're okay. Cerberus says I should use my powers to help you figure out what Olivia and Furfur were doing, cause Angra Mainyu doesn't tell us anything. Especially what's up with ..."

Mugaro trailed off as nur eyes fell on the stored flesh of Olivia. Ne gulped.

"Get used to it, we're going to do a lot of gross stuff."

A little of half an hour later, in came John Oagburg, her good old colleague, now Mugaro's ward with special sight and healing powers. They'd hijacked him fog to carry healing song somehow. Oh, the interesting things just kept coming. He brought along a few more humans, these unaffected as control group. Oagburg divided the humans in groups : some whom Mugaro had healed, and some whose injuries had been so light they'd just gotten out of the arena right away.

She liked what she got, but there was one element missing. Next time she saw Cerberus, she let her know by the words, "Next time you spot Kaisar, bring him to me. Abduct him if you have to. He squandered my respect for his autonomy, so he can deal with it."

"If it's convenient," Cerberus said. "And we don't need for something else."

Rita left it at that. Anything else she had to say was best reserved for Kaisar. She might've been fine with the work she had to do in the castle, but that didn't mean Kaisar would get away with leaving her enslaved. He'd made a promise, after all.

 **· · · · · · ·**

In heaven where all was sleek and beautiful but barren, it wasn't rich like this room. Her dragon self could only fit twice in this room, but there were carpets on the walls, embroidered curtains, rich paintings with golden frames, wood that didn't smell like anything she knew, perfumed cushions. She was torn between hating people had to starve for this, finding it all very pretty and how small it made the place seem.

She paced from one end to another, waiting. The candles dimmed, but she could not rest. She had met Merlin, but Ladislao had been out of sight and took everyone along. The forest dragon neither. No closer to figuring out what to do about them.

Amira had made no appearances for some reason, so she just made a point of regularly praying to Mugaro. If Kaisar showed his face, she'd maybe get an answer.

Charioce had ignored her for all of the day, that that did not last.

A hidden door pushed open, revealing not any servant, but Chris. "You're not asleep yet?"

"I don't like small spaces very much." She flopped onto the bed, but quickly sat up. "Not even if they're nice like this. Why are you keeping me like this?"

He walked past her, positioning himself at the window so she could only see his back. A chill settled on her. In the moonlight, he looked not so different from their moments in at the shining lake.

"The simple fact is they came to rescue one of their best weapons, and lost another weapon in the process," he said. "Whether that calculation pays off depends on whether that zombie can get herself another staff, I supposed."

Nina started to surpress a growl in her throat, but changed her mind. Let him hear it.

"This answer doesn't please you?"

Again that fond smile, only for it to send terror through her gut.

Was it fond at all? His face was always so perfect, like a marble adonis. Sometimes a dim frown, sometimes a dim smile, never too strong to break the beautiful symmetry. So vague it could be whatever she wanted. How much of the warmth she remembered was really him, and how much the dream of him? Not once had she considered him intelligent and cunning and ruthless. And selfish and prideful. He answered only to his own convictions, because all those of others were inconvenient to take into account. He thought his convictions were the best, and hers meant nothing.

"What's even going on between us?" she asked. "Most of who and how we are makes us enemies."

"Didn't you tell me already?" he said. "In prison, you said you had loved me. I'm getting the impression it's not as past tense as you imply, and perhaps you'd care to know it's mutual."

Those words left her with the barren realization she didn't even want him to be here. Strange thing, when she was supposed to be in love. Then again, Angra Mainyu had called it lust and butterflies, so was she?

"You love me? Then revoke your command to kill me."

He gave her a silence and a dead look, no need to spell out, _No_.

The tale of the stairway of fire ended with the hero declaring his love for the princess. Nina actually had no idea whether they'd have conversations about death orders, because they weren't together for most of it. Their happy ending was good because that's what everyone knew good endings were. Chris draped death over all he did and called that a kind of good too. Even her.

"Alright, I revise myself too : love that small time of you where I didn't know what a sadistic, stupid man you are."

Everything he meant to her hollowed out and slipped away, along with the tears from her eyes.

"And yet you are here."

"As if you aren't." She pulled his hand away hard enough to shove him back. "You would be on your way to Eibos already if I had died, right?"

Just a slight widening of his eyes, that was it. The impassive mask with that dim smile, whatever it meant, finally began to grate on her. Maybe it had grated on her long before, just to be hidden under the anguish for himself.

"For goodness sake, just tell me this one thing : can you go fight Bahamut right now?"

After seconds ticked by he said, "Yes. I postpone only so I can alter my kingdom for you. Honestly, I begin to doubt the effort. You'd rather have a war from the sound of it."

He smirked at this, eyes twinkling only like in the blur of their evening dances. It wasn't the thrill of the dance this time, she could hardly recognize him. Without smoothing his look back to stoic perfection, he came to the edge of the bed.

"You could kill me without noticing just by transforming here," he said. "I believe you have a number of triggers, one of them being me, ironically."

He trailed his hand down her cheek. His thumb took her tears along as he dragged it across her lips. There his hand stayed still, less as comfort and more as if he just wanted to sense her below his power.

Whether she could fight back or not, hapless damsel or powerful dragon did not change that he posed a very real threat to her. Perhaps not as dangerous as he could be, but still. Her boyfriend, her master, her destined soulmate, and perhaps her murderer. He could never give her true mercy when the shadow of his sentences lay upon her. Even if as fate demanded no other life weighed as much as his did, shouldn't her own at least count more? The dead cannot love either.

She grabbed his arm, freeing herself from his touch. "I hate so much of what you do to me and to others, so maybe that counts as hating you already."

"If that is how you would like to count, then I you cannot imagine the hatred I have for the weakness you set me up for."

The last drop of a loaded bucket spilled it over. Nina pushed him back so hard, he stumbled against the wall. "I'm done hearing about how much you suffer when you can't spare a breath about anyone else! Not even me!"

"If you are truly done, then come to me." He held out his hand. "See whether I can trigger you again. Prove you stand for what you believe in."

Nina's stomach turned and the walls felt like rushing in. They didn't, of course, not yet. This was just a room to hold her tears, alone.

"And then what?"

"They'll put the next Charioce on the throne, of course. I've already selected the next best from my father's bastards. I wasn't intending to do so, but the red dragon made it neccesary."

Even his offer to let her kill him was worthless. She turned away, not wanting to let him see her stew in tears and anger.

"Sleep well," Charioce said, back to his stoic self. Without another glance, he closed the door from which he'd come.

The dragon pacing behind the bars of her human flesh would have to wait only a little longer. She wasn't about him anymore, it was everyone else but him.

 **· · · · · · ·**


	20. Theosis

· · · · · · ·

 **September 30**

· · · · · · ·

For reasons Merlin could not explain, the barrier weakened. Charioce didn't care for why as long as it wasn't a trap. He had to clean up this mess before he fought Bahamut, or his successor would inherit a kingdom too unstable.

The king of Manaria was here to bolster attitudes about dragons, and his kingdom's academia might be useful, but that just dictated which kingdom he sapped up to. It was the holes in his armies that had to be filled.

He had quite some holes in his court too. He didn't doubt Kaisar had some loyalty to him, and that he would not have breached security if his little friend hadn't been involved. Nina was another question. Chris couldn't pin point what exactly Nina was doing here beyond a medium of attraction to him. She might not have a good reason to stay, if she would not kill him or try to take his bracelet again.

Regardless, that left him with his first chance to observe her in every day life. Nina's only real strength was her resistance to the power of Dromos, take that away and it was so easy to contain her. All he had to do with keep her in a small enough space to stop transformation, easily arranged on her schedule. So he learned.

She was uneasy being in those small spaces. She had a newly aquired aversion to oily food. Most of all, she was an excellent liar, if too specialized. He hadn't noticed it during their dates when he was her escapism, but now she wanted to escape him it was clear as day : a cultivated image of an innocent happy girl with not a worry in the world. Nina was a method actor, her presentation worked because she knew to kindle the emotions she and others wanted — joy — and put away the inconvenient ones. She wouldn't be as effective if trying any other role.

He'd fallen for her at first sight, had he fallen for a lie? Would he have been strong enough to resist if he had known?

"Your majesty, I have determined that the summoning circle that occured while you ... guest ... conversed with Lao, it belonged to Azazel."

"I see," he said, outward poise perfect to disguise where his thoughts had strayed again. Right, he was in the middle of being informed of Merlin's research.

"It confirms that he can attempt to summon her with the aid of Jeanne d'Arc, despite the hindrances of the girl's half human nature and the lack of hell energy at her location. He must have other aid and I would like to find out. If I were able to summon demons indiscriminately, we could elliminate all of hell's court, even Lucifer, before you fight Bahamut."

"I see."

He could postpone unsealing Bahamut a little more.

More a deer than a dragon at this moment, stressed, elegant, and dead if she took but one wrong turn. If only he could feel about her as the simple thing she was. Simple love he would've indulged in ten years ago shouldn't be a problem now. Still, that fire. There was something there that could be great. For now it was only in the way she'd steal a smirk when a man disrespected her, just before shoving him out of the way and letting him know he'd underestimated her. She could be a queen; strong when she had to, but also far from politics.

"Your majesty, your permission to involve the ancient forest dragon in this?"

Should he let an unknown dragon with mysterious abilities to detect fate meddle with Nina, or was she asking about something else? Was he being distracted by his own thoughts insisting it was about Nina?

"How are you sure it's not them alone?"

"Azazel has no special talent at summoning," Merlin said. "He needs elaborate magical codes memorized to summon even the most basic of skeletal warrior from hell."

"Perhaps the location mattered. We were at the statue of Bahamut. It survived the rain of fire untouched, and we could not break it down when we elevated this palace. It had to be raised along with it."

"That does sound unusual. I will have a look at that, if you allow."

He allowed, for strategy, for practice, and secretly because he wanted to know more.

According to Lao, Nina had visited her home along with Azazel and Jeanne. Perhaps they were the reason Nina was off ... It really would help if fate was a little clearer. Was his mind straying to Nina part of a greater plan, was she alone astray, was she an obstacle altogether? He wasn't as perfect as he should be, after all.

· · · · · · ·

Rita had determined a few things about Olivia's prey : they lacked souls, but weren't corpses. She controlled them using the zombie principle however, for which she used Furfur's abilities to connect directly to minds. The demons had had a pact between each other, well beyond being a ward; perhaps on the level of witches, but that wasn't testable right now.

What _was_ testable were all the fascinating new powers that Mugaro had manifested in heaven. The ability to shut down the zommorods had expanded to other fractures in the world, and proved to be an extension of healing power ... or perhaps had become healing powers due to what ne wanted to be. The attribution of themes and their manifestation was something Olivia had been curious about for good reason, but that was another topic further away from zombies. How exactly her strange bundle of power and curiosity tied together was up in the air yet, and Angra Mainyu wouldn't cooperate.

Mugaro at least did. Ne spent most time teaching nur new hallows how to exert healing power, and had nur project of slowly healing the effects of long term mutilation, overwork and starvation on the demon population, but still squeezed in some time for Rita. This involved the curious story of ne being able to sabotage something about Olivia's powers. Something about a new perspective and souls, which tickled Rita's curiosity like nothing else.

So once in her center office, she asked what ne could tell about her actions with Furfur.

"I had a little deal with Furfur," Rita said. "Unfortunately, I couldn't pose much questions or conduct experiments. I'm not letting Charioce have this knowledge, so I cleaned up. Can you tell anything off about me?"

"You just killed him?" Mugaro asked with childlike innocence, and fear. Now, the kid hadn't been afraid of Azazel knowing full well he'd killed people who couldn't put up a fight. Perhaps ne saw something else.

"If something bothers you spill it. We're getting nowhere otherwise."

"There is a thick string between you and that marble, going all the way to the castle," Mugaro said. "And a thousand tiny threads all over the place. It's like what exists between Azazel and whatever he's got in the castle, and Olivia and her court, and Cerberus and her puppies."

Well well, wasn't that interesting. Rita wasn't aware she still had a claim on that zombie.

"I may have a link yet to the zombie I made in the castle — I provided her a soul, after all. As for the rest, don't you worry about it. Unless I die."

Mugaro frowned and would have gone on, but Rita occupied nur with getting more data out of what ne saw.

· · · · · · ·

As far as Favaro was concerned, Azazel talking to Amira was good entertainment.

"Stop being stubborn and do it!" he shouted at the wall, while Amira signed bunny ears behind his head, only to be dissapointed; the horns ruined it. He'd have to draw jackalopes for her some time. Though, she might expect to meet them and he wasn't sure they existed.

"It's not what Nina wants," Favaro said at last. "And trust me, abduction's not gonna go over well."

"You don't get it, Nina keeps throwing herself at Charioce on flimsy excuses!"

This had been going on for a while, so Favaro was quite grateful when Mugaro emerged into their cave with the words, "She'll let me know through prayer if it's needed. I'll just stay close to you, okay?"

Azazel softened a bit at that, but Favaro got curious what that meant about Rita's experiments. Giving her a raised eyebrow was enough of a prompt for her to say, "Mugaro saw connections when ne died, Azazel has something in the castle he could link to. I want to know what this is about, so we're here to test it."

"Does this even relate to figuring out what Olivia did?"

"Perhaps," Rita said with a shrug. "Now, Azazel, I've been informed you can do that link with Nina's help? What does she do?"

Prying more info out of Azazel was difficult till he figured that perhaps he could learn to be conscious in both places. Favaro hung out, lacking anything better to do, so heard Mugaro declared Azazel technically shared a soul with the creatures in the castle. Not like with Cerberus, Mimi and Coco, whom Mugaro could sense as individual people. The ones in the castle weren't quite like that, though Mugaro couldn't tell without them near.

Hmm. Cerberus got better at her magic the more she did thematically with it. Azazel had this amazing potential that he sucked at at every angle. What was he doing wrong?

Favaro had zero interest in magic, but it was starting to sound more technical lately. Something more manageable if one knew the rules. Not that he planned to become a magician, but there was a certain idea he entertained in the back of his mind ...

· · · · · · ·

For breakfast the king graciously requested her presence at his table "so he could learn more of commoner life from a reliable source". As such, Nina ended up on a balcony that oversaw the misty city and the defense lines around the barrier. Wyverns swooped by frequently, some of them with black armors atop. Her death sentence on hold.

Other than that it was pretty. Morning glory, soft mist to hide the broken city, good food and elegant clothing, like she expected right after fairytale's happy ending. She had not been around Chris beyond dating, slavery and crisis; she didn't dwell too much on him in her room. He didn't either, judging from his calm posture.

Just there, sipping some coffee as if he'd done nothing wrong. He never did start casual conversations, only talk along if she did, so there was probably grandiose rambling coming up.

The food was awfully good though, so to be defiant she piled it all on a plate, and ignored her chair in favor of the balustrade. "So, I'm not really here talk about my commoner life, right? Honestly, everything I said during our dates is true, just add dragons."

"That revelation added sense to your random claim deers were scared of the area," he said. "So yes, I have another question. Do you still want to understand the true me?"

"Yes. What's it like to murder?"

He smiled at that, as usual. "None of the murderers on your side have bothered to explain? I killed for a good cause, so more may live."

"... but you _didn't_ kill for a good cause," Nina huffed. "And you're not answering my question. You know, I always felt about people separate from the stuff they did, so I'm trying to get at what connects that. Again, what is it like to murder?"

"Transaction requires no emotion. I simply do what I must."

"... but to defeat Bahamut, you definitely _must not_ destroy the people who kept it at bay!"

"You do not think on a grand enough scale."

Back at home, Nina had had a teacher with that tone, explaining transformation over and over while ignoring her hybrid nature.

"We're just going to keep repeating ourselves without getting anywhere, are we?" Nina said. "I'm tired of it."

Maybe she should transform and squash him. The very thought sickened her to her stomach, but the idea he might soon kill her friends was worse.

Maybe it'd be less bad if it he died somewhere else.

She _could_ lift him and just throw him down the balcony.

Her wings unfolded, eyes still on him.

His hand went to his sword automatically. Of course.

She stopped moving, and he might have stopped himself just a second before.

He was fast, she'd seen it in the slums. Those few beters between him and the edge were enough to put up a fight. The wyvern riders might catch him anyway.

Still she lingered on the edge, eyes locked with his in silence. He was always beautiful, but she could only name one other thing she liked about him.

When she folded her wings and sat down, Chris relaxed. "What is it like to live in constant doubt about your goal?"

"I know my goal. What I want is for my friends to be safe, ... and for myself to be safe too. Then, I want a nice life for everyone I care about. Then, if there's time, I'd like to dance again, and hunt criminals and find nice dresses, but I don't need you for that. I just don't have my heart lined up with my thoughts, that's all."

"Hunt criminals? A strange goal to have, when many of your friends are exactly that. Or are you not aware that this Azazel was a serial killer even before the fall of Cocytus?"

"Lots of murder, I know," she said. "So did Cerberus and Rita, and Favaro was a like, a paid serial killer of criminals. You know Bacchus has magical ropes that he never gives to the bounty hunters? He's not great either. I know _lots_ of people with a body count. What are you getting at?"

"What about Jeanne, when she unsealed Bahamut?"

"Jeanne was mind controlled. Leave her out of this. And if you wanna talk about my mass murdering friends, you need something better than pointing out they exist. Oh, I can do better for you : there is a room in heaven that records all crimes people have committed. Azazel has a wall full of criminal wards, each of whom have their own set of crimes. He's not growing it anymore though. I dunno about what Cerberus and Favaro and Rita are going to do, but I know your wall is a thousand times worse in less time, and it's still growing."

"Ah, they have one for me? Did you look at it in detail?"

"No. I'm starting to regret that. Heaven now has included crimes against demons, did you know that? I bet there's an amazing bounty on your head now."

"Does this system record the good I've done too?"

"It wouldn't matter."

"You miss the larger picture. If the demons and gods were not as they were, I would not needed to become this way. Any change they underwent is because I taught them the hard way. None of those demons would care one wit for humans if they hadn't been brought low. Those who bring themselves high, I accept with open arms. We already allow certain demons to be hired. Did you know Azazel got paid for his job at the amphitheater once? We could have more of that if only demons proved themselves better. I'm opening that avenue by recognizing the dragons."

But he wasn't going to rebuild Cocytus or anything. It was their job to prove themselves?

And he still hadn't answered her question.

Nina dropped her head to the table as Chris droned on, "And remember, that which is good is so relative. My people would call my conquest of hell good, and if I had gotten Jeanne d'Arc on my side, soon they would have called my conquest of heaven good too."

Mumbling against the tablecloth, she said, "They're all going to be dead soon because you're bringing Bahamut here without warning."

"I will defeat Bahamut at the cost of my life, and leave behind a world where the other two tribes know their place."

"Pffft, you really think that'll work? You made everyone hate you, that's all."

"Discipline will always be harsh by necessity."

"Did you know there was a human who became a full demon without changing his personality? He was righteous and wanted to help his people. He united benevolent demons who hadn't beforehand been able to change their realm for the better. He even worked with Azazel despite not liking the elite. Dante is dead now, thanks to you. You forced Azazel to kill him. What good did that do? The dead cannot learn, and you just keep killing without minding who it is."

"You focus too much on the individual, rather than the greater good. "

Nina slammed her cup on the table, cracking it. "But the people are made up out of lots of individuals! You just lump them all together and punish them alike?"

There that smile again. "That distraction you experience is exactly why I had to relinquish the sense of guilt from myself."

"You know, you're not smart enough to do good if you don't have guilt to stop you. I'm not either, nor is Azazel. I could give you someone who does good cause she's smart, but she's a demon so you wouldn't care either way. You'd probably lock her up like Jeanne. No, people like us need to feel guilt to keep us in line."

All he gave was silence.

 _Do you hate humans_? she'd asked Azazel once. _Yes_ , he'd said right away. It was that simple, and yet he hadn't let her fall to her death when he'd still thought she was one. Charioce didn't hate demons, he _said_ , but he killed them anyway without the slightest sign of stopping, and playing ball with children didn't change the death sentence he had on Mugaro.

"You really shouldn't have compared yourself as better than Azazel. He's a low bar to meet with his past, and an very high one when it comes to the people he cares about."

No matter what she said, no matter whom he _could_ have been, the way he was now didn't even feel for her even as he was willing to overhaul his system to make it easier to pardon her ... without tainting his public image, or his personal contest with himself on his resolve. Whatever it was, it left her standing alone. If what Chris felt for her was still expressed only in conditions, how could he ever rule anyone right?

Standing here in fancy dress made on broken backs felt filthy all of a sudden. All she had with Chris was a shared hobby. The rest was merely fate. Maybe there was a final wall she could crack, so all he'd hidden away would pour out. A nice little fantasy where the world didn't matter, only his heart. Too bad she and her friends had to live in the world he'd made.

She wanted to go home, and it wasn't the village between the trees where everyone was bright and she lived a lie. Her home was just a short flight away, over in the slums where she had to hide and where her words meant something. She had a life beyond dancing, a life with her friends and family and with ... oh.

Oh spirits.

It'd started with simple desire either way, until the words romantic love had lost its meaning the more she tried to see it in Chris. Much of what she wanted from him had gone beyond lust and shared hobby, wrapped up like a fairytale of epic journeys and shapeless devotion. She still wanted safety, but also a lot of other things, some of which were now shaped like Azazel.

Nina only had a wry, nervous chuckle to lose.

"Is something funny?"

"Yes. My teacher's really lousy cause he's smart yet refuses to be straightforward. Still better than you though."

More than one teacher had failed her, perhaps. What wisdom had her mother left her? Nina didn't actually know a lot about her mother and father's life, other than their fairytale romance. Did they quarrel? Why did she move to his home rather than the other way around? What did they have in common? There was a gaping void around the fairytale that she couldn't fill in for them. Nina wasn't sure whether whatever existed between her and Azazel had more to it, but it wasn't a hobby alone.

Charioce just sat there with his high maintenance perfection. Sharp, and begging for her to give endless forgiveness and unconditional love so she would fit him, as mandated by fate.

It left her with a seed of anger. This all wasn't fair, and if fate indeed exploited her like this, she had more than one enemy.

· · · · · · ·

That her very first true military offense would be attacking her own city was the least plausible future, yet here she stood.

Charioce had filled up his depleted armies with dragons and soldiers from Manaria. He might suspect the Essenbecks were up to something, since he had kept their provided armies out of relevant positions, had brought in a successor, and Manaria was an especially dragon friendly country ...

Did this relate to Nina? Charioce was easy to see as a monster, but if he had human weaknesses all the better. Better didn't mean good though, especially not if Nina caved to him. It was tempting to ask Sofiel, but if she didn't already know that'd break trust.

Using the power of free demons for set up, the Black Troupe would be able to mount an attack much swifter than ever before. After Lucifer had created the nexus, other demons appeared to create smaller portals below the hills. One of Lucifer's spies had a communication beacon in the hills they used to hone in; they had hoped to land in the middle of the city, but apparently the barrier got in the way. Said spy hadn't been able to craft a gate nexus.

Secretly Jeanne was glad for this. The opening in the castle's outer wall faced the city, there was strategic benefit to that angle, but at what cost? Coming from the hills would spare the citizens more.

After Jeanne finished going over strategy with the Essenbecks and Reinier, she had little left to do. Her role would be a lead soldier, not a general. Inspecting and motivating troops would not be her business today. She tried not to regret that, for now, as she had other concerns in need of time.

As Lucifer finished up the last elements of the nexus, Jeanne approached him. The unicorn was behind her as usual, but vun horn glowed more. Alert.

"Lord Lucifer, may I have a moment of your time? It regards Charioce's greater goal. I had hoped to discuss it in a safer environment, but time may be important."

"Time I have aplenty."

New tunnels and halls had spun out under the miner's village, many of them emptied as the demons worked close to the nexus. The unicorn remaining outside, they claimed one.

Well, claim. There was a couch already, and wine, and a single book, all protected by a circle.

"Teleportation and gate travelling takes a lot of energy, I prefer to have something quicker at hand to rest," Lucifer said at her staring.

He dropped himself on the couch, crossed his legs and took his book. As if all that'd happen were a quick update before he'd move on with so important down time. All the magnificence of archangels radiated from him, even as technically, he was lazying about.

"It appears that certain rumors were confirmed. Azazel is in Anatae. I wonder why you did not tell me. Or anyone for that latter, since he is your ally."

Oh no.

"He suffered a great deal of injuries during his capture by Charioce, which did not regenerate," Jeanne said. "He was unable to move until recently."

Oh Michael, how was she going to avoid talking about her child's role in this? Why was Azazel in Anatae to begin with?

Lucifer pulled out a bush of black feathers, one of those she'd handed out to prove Azazel was her ally. "So you say."

He fanned out the feathers between his fingers. There were more than Jeanne had distributed.

"Mammon aquired some of these from merchants. They were in circulation before you descended," he said slowly. "And isn't it rather curious that despite your alliance, not a single demon has seen Azazel? Perhaps he was busy conquering the lower part of the city, though I wonder why. Olivia should have been our ally."

"Azazel is not a fine negociator." And Olivia wasn't very fine about respect for life, judging from the tales.

"Heh. Yes, that is true."

If Azazel had not yet contacted Lucifer, and Lucifer knew nothing of El Mugaro, something was amiss. Time to redirect.

"I might assume you are a better negociator," she asked.

"Indeed I must be."

What was he waiting for? She took a dare and said, "I can only assume though. Since I began, an underground movement had started routined escaped slaves to Valeria. There was no such thing for five years, despite your ability to open portals."

"Helheim was crowded already," he said. "As long as some survive, we shall rebuild once humankind burns itself out."

Oh, he was not truly Valeria's ally. He just moved things along, but would take no risks. Except perhaps telling her their hide out what Helheimr, but maybe he expected Azazel to have told her already. Was this a test? What was she supposed to do? He let the conversation drift without pressing anything ...

"I cannot speak for what goes down between you and Azazel, and I must discuss something else. We believe Charioce XVII intends to fight Bahamut soon, and has done something to prevent you and lady Gabriel from detecting its arrival."

"Does he now?" Lucifer broke one of the feathers in his hand. "Do you have proof?"

"You could simply teleport to Eibos. A facility brimming with green power is visible once there."

"Let me clarify : do you have proof for me that does not require me to visit an unstable location that contains a facility that might just be designed to capture me?"

"What?"

"Since his conquest of hell, Charioce XVII has invented an application of the zommorods that negates ichor founded magic, as I'm certain you know. He has activated this costly energy below his castle, as I'm also certain you know. It is why you require humans to invade, as I'm sure didn't slip your mind while building this invasion. That you enact while rebelling against Gabriel — don't look so surprised, my erstwhile sister would never allow you to do as you will — and overthrowing your own king. And Azazel's circumstances are very curious. And absent."

Her invitation to show him Eibos no longer sounded reasonable, especially when she'd have to ask him to weaken himself by teleporting, or trust the unicorn and her.

Oh Michael, why were there even any feathers from Azazel in circulation?

"I cannot provide you proof other than that, but I must ask, what if I am right? What if Bahamut does arrive soon? Will you be prepared?"

"Then let it come," Lucifer said. "It's done so countless of times. The world will just rebuild itself into the same useless dreck."

"Did you not stand with us ten years ago? How can you be so callous?"

"How can I be? Surely you noticed I was late, ten years ago. I came for Azazel, that was all. Satan's sacrifice would never be mine. No, I once tried to destroy the world myself, before I truly understood what held it all together," he said. "Arbiter Mortis was not perfect, yet shaped this world in her image of perfection. The end of that world is the only true change that Bahamut brought. Everything since has a cycle of the same. There is a triviality to this world you will never be old enough to understand."

And a triviality to departures, for him. Invisible force closed around Jeanne, almost suffocating as every movement was dictated. His invisible power. He just picked her up and deposited her outside.

Before the door slammed shut, she caught a glimpse of him smiling at his book.

Lucifer was intimidating in presence only to leave one wondering whether he acted the moment he was gone. She could hardly call it a flair for drama, but it wasn't the cold, condescending way Charioce held himself. Jeanne didn't know what to make of it, or even whether she should try.

· · · · · · ·

By means of her unicorn, Jeanne and Sofiel arrived at the growving nexus. Once a small cave, this end had now expanded further underground. Her goal was to speak with a few people, and secure alliance.

Anatae's lower quarters looked like a ghost town : covered in mist and cursed web. The mist reached the castle too, but lacking the webs left it without the ominous impression. No wonder Valeria felt nothing for making an official alliance with the demons. They expected treachery, and had zommorods at hand in case, and Paracelsus's automatons. As far as Valeria was concerned, the demons in the lower quarter were proof of Charioce's incompetence, no more.

Jeanne had not risked arguing in their favor, lest the fragile trust people had in her were harmed, especially since she did not know the story.

Soldiers scouted the hills around the barrier to warn of any trouble, but the unicorn could gateway them to a patch of forest nearby easily enough. It'd take some effort to pass for the unicorn, so in the meantime she placed her hand on the forcefield.

The unicorn stopped, curious. Encouraging. _Look._

This wasn't magic from hell itself, though its frame was demonic. Rather, it flowed like that which humans souls generated. It would have surprised her more, if over the past months her entirely world view hadn't been full of strangeness.

At the tips of her fingers it flowed away, more like sand than water the way demonic and divine power did. Spreading it apart with her hands, she held open a path for Sofiel.

Together they went through, into a mostly empty street. A few humans milled about near a house, and demons flew overhead. They got about two streets down when someone came leaping across the roofs.

Through the haze of the demonic webs it took Jeanne a moment to disginguish her child, by which time ne already leaped down. "Mother!"

El Mugaro fell into her arms. The embrace was welcome, the years of separation still fresh on her mind. Tearing herself loose wasn't easy, but El Mugaro did it nurself.

"The unicorn came to you too? Oh, and hello, Sofiel!"

She nodded. "Yes, but there's something more important we must discuss. Please lead me to where you're staying."

· · · · · · ·

When Mugaro had run off cause ne sensed nur mother, Cerberus had scrambled to get as much important figures to be around. John, Alex, Augustin and whatever Red Troupe members were around. Rachel was available, but Belphegor was busy with science crap. That put Cerberus on the spot of being the noble host.

And what a job Jeanne did arriving in the slum's central plaza! Sure, her clothes were a bit off, but descended from on high riding a unicorn, two angels flying along. It should've been this profound moment of bonding across the tribes.

If not for one detail.

"Where the hell is Coco?" Cerberus whispered to Jeanne.

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen Coco for a while now. There were complications that limited his teleportation, I suspect he got stuck somewhere. I already have someone looking for him. In the meantime, may I introduce you to our allies?"

"I'll look myself, but fine."

"Lady Sofiel, this is Cerberus and Mimi, who helped us escape Charioce's island," Jeanne said.

The angel looked upon Cerberus with contempt, but radiated something appetizing. A compatible power perhaps? Worth being nice to in case it was useful. Cerberus put on her sweetest face, bowed a little and said, "Welcome to our humble abode."

It softened the goddess a little, though she remained distant. "Likewise. Are you the leader? We have come to—"

Aaaand Azazel stepped out right then, causing Jeanne to stand straight and be very loud with, "Azazel! I entrusted El Mugaro's safety to you and bring nur back to Anatae of all places?"

"Mugaro just wanted to get some friends out."

"El is _seven_ , Azazel. You're an adult. You're supposed to know better!"

"Mother, please! It was realllllly necesary we got here anyway. There was this demon taking everyone hostage and we just had to get rid of her as soon as possible."

"Oh dear order," Sofiel said. "Jeanne, you _need_ to arrange better babysitters."

"But I'm not a baby!"

"Where is Nina anyway?" Jeanne asked.

Azazel just barely contained himself from a no doubt explosive explanation. He managed through gritted teeth, "Let's talk about this somewhere not public."

"Hello, we have to be formal here for a minute ... " Cerberus trailed off. Ugh, why even try with these people? They had no idea about crowd control. Newbies.

· · · · · · ·

"I don't believe this," Jeanne said upon hearing why Nina was in the castle. "I thought Nina was at least level headed about this, but she went to Charioce alone?"

"You knew the entire time?" Azazel snapped.

"She told me in confidence, so yes."

"She wasn't level headed about it at all, she brought him into the slums without telling anyone!"

"While El Mugaro was there?"

Cue another horrifying story. Perhaps Nina might be out of her mind, and Sofiel added fuel to this.

"My dear El Elyon, it was Charioce XVII?" At the questioning looks, Sofiel expanded with, "She onced asked whether she was in love and wanted magical confirmation. I gave her as best as I could, though the way earthlings speak of romance confuses me. She certainly has a form of affection and craving ..."

Azazel kicked down a wall.

"My admiration with how you're dealing with this just keeps growing, Azazel," Cerberus said.

"Let's not panic," Favaro said. "It's not like she's going behind our backs anymore."

"You don't get it, I've seen this before!" Azazel said. "When I ..."

His eyes went to the door, till Cerberus said, "The kid's nowhere near."

Azazel continued, "Back when I still toyed with humans. There'd be women who would do anything for their lover or husband or whatever. Some of them admitted it up front, others had all these excuses. She's staying for him either way."

"Oh dear," Sofiel said. "Can we trust her not to do anything ... rash, like before in heaven?"

Jeanne felt awfully guilty for agreeing to everyone's unspoken _uuuuh sad but yes_ moment.

"Do we actually know what her deal is?" Mimi asked. "We got these fancy new powers, but they only tell us stuff about community, it's not that good at predicting stupidity or backstabbing."

"At the root of romance there are crushes, limerence, infatuation, lust, passion and friendship," Sofiel said. "I'd have to talk to her in detail for more, but it's not easy. Perhaps because she has a mixture of all of those, save friendship. I don't know enough about whether or not she'll betray us."

"She isn't going to _intentionally_ betray the entrance in Kaisar's place," Favaro said. "Anyway, there's something else we have to talk about. Coco mentioned Bahamut, right?"

Jeanne nodded.

"Well, we're not sure of the primary anti Bahamut movement ... "

Cue to the most horrifying story yet.

Fate existed not as a facet of divinity, but an independent process that dictated _Charioce was the holy knight._

And she and Azazel were apparently immune to its direct machinations. Not its indirect, though. The world still affected her.

Also, _Charioce was the holy knight destined to save the world._

She could accept it being Favaro, but Charioce? If fate put the future of the entire world on the back of a ruthless genocidal monster, then she had a greater enemy.

And Nina had something to do with this all. Charioce XVII was to save the world, and she was to aid him? Favaro was guessing only, but he'd know what he was talking about.

"We have a kind of pattern here : pink hair, dragons, young and naive, destiny guy tried to murder her at one point. I'm not free of guilt here," Favaro said with a too casual shrug.

The biggest problem Nina should face about her crushing on guys was being turned down, not being murdered.

This. This held the world together? It couldn't control her, so Martinet took her as a weapon? And fate let them all believe she was the true knight? With the sheer precision fate orchestrated, it could have avoided so much suffering.

Why did the gods adhere to fate? Why was any of this not questioned?

"Anyway, about the war on our doorstep," Cerberus said loudly. "Jeanne, are you a saint already?"

Jeanne and Sofiel exchanged a glance. The idea had floated without word, but never been outright planned. Valeria had included her in the invasion plan, but as a knight on horse. Would Gabriel allow Sofiel to transform Jeanne, after she'd gone against her will?

"If she wills, it will happen just before the war," Sofiel said.

· · · · · · ·

That evening, Amira had messages to share, including Jeanne. Mugaro's was relayed first, of nur happiness, and of wanting Nina to be careful. It was rather short, but Amira said ne knew the truth now.

Jeanne worried so much over learning what Nina did regarding Charioce, pressed her to be careful, and said she would have her return right away if not for one problem with the incoming invasion and the matter of her family.

They didn't know her tribe mates had joined Charioce. When asked, Amira confirmed she hadn't told them this. To her, treacherous family seemed a touchy subject. If Nina could work on that, Amira would keep quiet.

Sofiel was there too. Nina only knew her on the surface, but it was still nice to hear from her. Sofiel regretted that she hadn't seen the trouble that weighed on Nina, and understood why she hadn't outright confessed the nature of her problem. It was a little of a relief that she didn't say anything about her having had to reveal it.

Favaro tried to be all mentory with how she should her choices and not run on emotions a lot. Well meant, but she'd figured that out by now. Really. He also wanted to chew Kaisar out for going along with this charade.

Rita called her an idiot several times and told her to chew out and make him hy his ass over to his mansion for tests; Amira was sure a few times of idiot might've been meant for Kaisar.

Azazel didn't pass on a message, which was ... something. Obnoxious? Just how angry was he with her? He didn't mind her being near, so ... or did he? Was that just barely tolerating her ? It didn't _seem_ like it. Maybe he just didn't know what to ...

No, this wasn't okay. Even if he was angry, they were still friends.

Nina crossed her arms. "Tell Azazel he should at least say hi."

"He did do a lot of complaining about how you weren't safe in here."

Really, what was up with him? It wasn't like there was any real danger if he could just summoner her away. "I'm fine."

"He thinks you're lying to yourself," Amira said. "Why would you do that?"

"I'm not ..."

"Lying is horrible, especially if you live it. It can break you and the world with it. About that, they have this plan ..."

Jeanne had new friends who'd come to invade the city, and they had zommorod powered mecha. All the more reason she had to make her tribe mates stand down. There was complicated invasion stuff too, which neither of them understood very well, and Nina had trouble focusing on when Amira herself kept reminding her to talk to her family. To Ladislao.

Why was Amira so focused on family? Curiosity won out, so when Amira explained the limits of her spying (Charioce and Merlin could always see her), she asked, "What do they see though? You looked different ages to me, first you were a very young girl, but you looked like a woman when you helped me being summoned away."

Amira looked rather sad, the silence only accenting it.

"I'm just wondering whether it's a glitch, like how humans see different in Rita's mist than demons do?"

Amira shook her head. "I was made, so maybe I don't have a set form. My mother is ... was Nicole. I'm not sure whether I can call her mother anymore, I was made by breaking her soul. Some demon, Belzebuth, he did it. His power was half of me. I never was the little girl you saw. You're one of those who see me when I do not make it so, whatever you saw was your interpretation of me. In time, I am 10 years only. In mind, when I was made I was like a 5 year old. I haven't lived in the world since then, so maybe I still am."

"Oh ... it's probably not the same, but I've lived as animal more than I've lived sapient. I know a little about lost time with people. You're still alive, and learn new stuff. Just slower maybe?"

"I had language and fighting skills, but it wasn't even all language — I didn't know what a father was, for example. Then I was sealed along with Bahamut. I haven't been able to hear anything for all this time, so I couldn't learn the words for things. I don't understand lies with words well, because the lies I've been told were memories. Maybe that is a little like what you lost."

"I'm getting memories back from my time as dragon, but they're not smart memories. Just animal memories ... hey, what do you mean, your memories were a lie?"

There was the story of pain, of her mother Nicole dying in her arms. As Amira went on, her expression grew sadder. Had she ever told anyone this story? To lose her mother because she'd arrived, triggering the murder ... Nina's stomach turned and the dragon wanted out, or crawl away. Still she could hold the memories of her father, and put them aside to focus on how Amira felt.

And there was something about lies that had to be said.

"Amira, you should know Favaro has something not so nice about him that he's gotta tell you."

Amira pouted, but not in a bratty way. She looked like the world let her down.

Nina waved her hands in a soothing way. "It's nothing as bad as with Charioce and I'm sure you can talk it out. Still. It's going to hurt."

That sad look didn't go away and Nina almost regretted saying it. No wonder Favaro didn't want to try when they only had pictures. How was he even going to say sorry?

It didn't feel fair. The man who loved Nina didn't think he ever had to say sorry.

· · · · · · ·

 **Oktober 1**

· · · · · · ·

No running, only polite giggling, no opening random doors, no saying thanks to servants, stop stating opinion on everything, walk neatly, eat neatly. Acting like a well mannered girl quickly became excruciating. She still couldn't get heels to work, going down on her face every few hours. Breaking rocks was easier and more pleasant since it didn't come with shame.

Oh, she knew shame. _Silly Nina can't transform_ was the background hum of home. Now it was instead her not becoming a princess. Like heaven she might be a token, and would be left if she didn't live up. At least at home, they didn't discard her with a dose of death.

So she played along and waited for a chance to talk with some of the other dragons. It wasn't like they really needed her in the slums anyway.

During an outdoor breakfast in the gardens — which Nina was supposed to handle by only eating small portions — she met Merlin again. Not her prime choice, but given the threat she was to Mugaro and all this fate stuff she might as well give it a shot. Siding off to talk with the scary, illustrous Merlin was socially acceptable and useful for the rebellion.

Merlin had a table under an plant archway with flowers overhead and much more food than she would need. Nina sat without asking.

"I'm surprised you are still here," Merlin said. "I thought you only stayed to avoid trouble for your friends."

"You can just ask me _why_ , you know. It's cause I have to know how much of my tribe Chris is involving."

Merlin considered for awhile before she said, "From what I understand, Ladislao arrived first and convinced other men to join. So far, they act as employees and little more, however ... Ladislao sent off someone to your home town a while ago. I will be expected to summon him back tomorrow."

Qhispe wouldn't join, would she? Right? Their whole policy was to not get involved with the war. It'd be fine.

"It won't work," Nina said. "Anyway, you're close to Ladis?"

"Ladislao has served as my mount a few times, so we are colleages. That is not important," Merlin said. "If we are to discuss a matter, it should be of concern to the greater fate."

"My uncle's—"

"Someone smarter than you, but less relevant."

"Ugh, fine. Hand me those bagels."

Merlin did so, and said. "I would hand you your exact fate as well, if you just let it happen."

"Just so we're clear, I and Chris went over all this already, and he's ambivalent either way. He's not gonna stop me if I do it, and is fine with dying if I don't. We moved onto killing being okay or not, and he tried to make it about Azazel all of a sudden. Jeanne came up too. Why?"

In a bout of flouting decorum, Merlin rolled her eyes heavenward. "I merely mentioned your escape route."

"Well, he was very annoying and vague again. Want to add anything nasty? Like what your deal with Azazel is?"

Merlin sighed. "It is not something I wish to discuss in detail."

"Then do broad strokes. You want me to make a decision based on fate, then give me stuff to work with."

"Azazel manipulated me to defy fate, a dark seduction that I fell for believing he was just some fool to whom I could listen without risk, and perhaps learn what made him untouchable by fate. It was his pretense of stupidity that lowered my guard, I did not see what he was truly doing.

Upon pacting with him, that resistance to fate's hand passed to me. You can imagine but never comprehend what the shift in cognition did to me. I am already soul in transit in dying by demonic nature, a fragile existence. If we were all puppets of fate, then without fate we surely were free? In the shadow of Azazel, I could experiment with that freedom.

I understood what fate did to me when I lost the will to go through old routines. Thoughts that always came to me now did not. Habits vanished. I lost almost all of whom I was. I hated fate for it, but oh, it was the way the world no longer met me to pave my way. I had to make choices I never had come before, I had to rely on my own limited wisdom. I tripped into a freefall when I had no wings. If the idea fate controlled me was terrifying, this was worse.

Fate is gentle guidance for the betterment of humankind, but ruthless for those who seek to break it, as Azazel does. He may be a mastermind of seductive evil, but he will never win again."

Nina had to laugh, and clamped her hand over her mouth to stop the spray of food.

"What is your issue, if I may ask?" Merlin almost snapped.

"I hate to break it to you, but your fall was your own fault too. Azazel's not a deep thinker and can do really stupid things. According to Rita, he almost started the rebellion without telling me! Then there's throwing you and Athos in last minute, and we didn't test my powers all that well either, and he tried to force a kiss one me and that just made things worse — Ladis told you how my transformation works, right? — and he just keeps throwing himself at Chris with no planning. He also threw himself at Odin, and got himself killed by Dione."

"Are you sure? He seems to be awfully alive lately."

"Divine CPR. Anyway, about the bowels of evil, he's a kid in that. People were toys, he didn't have a grand ideology like Chris does."

Merlin huffed, "Evil in itself is a way of life. Senseless slaughter the end result, just like that friend I had you remove from the castle."

Nina blinked. "If you want further proof how out of touch with intrigue Azazel is : he could have just paid her to do that years ago. At least, back when he didn't have qualms about mass murder yet. They've been allies for _years_."

Merlin's eye twitched, to Nina's satisfaction.

"And I really mean it about the kid thing. Gods have this weird thing where sometimes their minds don't match the body like with humans. There's Amira who was a five year old when she was five weeks old, and Mugaro who was a three year old when ne was three seconds old, And now ne looks like a twelve year old but still acts like younger and older, and it's all very confusing. Azazel was stuck like that for several centuries. If all it took for you to be seduced was a bratty ten year old kid with superpowers, I bet you had feelings you ignored," Nina said. "Trust me, I'm so good at that I didn't even notice till recently. By the way, did you know Chris would be incredibly dead if my feelings hadn't stopped me from telling the gods he took treks outside the castle? That's why fate wants me, I run on feelings all the time. Butterflies and lust. I'm trying very hard to think instead cause fate is a dick."

Merlin's hands clenched into the tablecloth, and Nina's edge melted away.

"I bet it's scary for you too, learning people you're close to are bad guys," Nina said. "Many in my life did bad things, and some still do. Me too. Jeanne says I can't hold myself responsible for anything I didn't choose to do, and I can't if I accept her as mind controlled, I was mindless. Others made art of murder."

"Method," Merlin hissed. "King Charioce has sensical method, there is nothing like that to Azazel."

"The dead can't care about that, and most of the living can't either. And you? What do you care about? Chris has things he wants for himself, like me, the subjugation of the gods and demons, and the glory of humankind. You talk about fate like that's the goal in itself."

Merlin closed her eyes and whispered, "You are nothing but an ignorant child, making the a mistake I've made too, except the cost will be higher. Bahamut will kill a thousand times more than anything even my errors caused. You cannot fight fate. Not even Bahamut can."

Nina frowned. She had a pretty good idea about non answers by now. "But—"

"Enough." A flitter of anger crossed Merlin's face, which she quickly reigned in. Calmly, she continued eating, smiling and making smalltalk, and with every passing second, Nina grew more horrified. This woman was fate's closest agent, and felt like freedom was some kind of evil.

· · · · · · ·

Azazel didn't have enough to do to keep his mind off of worrying. Cerberus had control over the barrier zone, Angra Mainyu was nowhere to be found, and all he could do was wait.

Today, Mimi came to tell that Jeanne had come by to discuss strategic aid with her and the Red Troupe. Merlin could likely sense Jeanne if she transformed; they should have sainted her before arriving. Oh well.

Jeanne wanted a private word with him later that evening, so he found them a secluded place.

Most human houses were occupied on the lower floor, but the upper levels were often empty. What few humans moved higher were those who hated demons so much, they refused to be near the growing underground city. Houses further to the slums had no humans. He selected one with thick walls, passed the location to Mimi and waited outside.

Jeanne arrived late, with an apology there was so much to discuss, but Azazel's attention was elsewhere.

A cloaked person shuffled from behind a corner, before breaking into a clumsy run. Azazel's first instinct to throw them away quelled by the sheer absurdity of someone hobbling at full speed while trying to bow.

The person shoved the packpage at Azazel, muttered something while bowing, and ran off again.

Baffled, he opened the package : a plate with a frosted cake on it.

"You used your position to make people bake you cakes?" Jeanne asked.

"I didn't! I have no idea... oh. Nina."

Jeanne snatched a piece. "It's good cake, though I can't place the flavor."

He gave it a shot. Hmm. Made from the new demonic gardens. Whatever this was about, they'd clearly waited till Jeanne was near to deliver. A human then, thinking a saint's presence would make things safer. Whatever.

When they entered his chosen place, Jeanne toured to the kitchen to find a fork. Demonstratively, she planted it in the cake and dared him with a glare to make a mess.

He flicked the fork at her, "But what will you eat with?" before digging in. This stuff was good , he might have gone as far as thanking Nina if she would just let him summon her out of Charioce's grip, but noooo. She had to be there for some reason.

Jeanne took one look at the ravaged cake and passed on the fork.

"Alright, I must say a few things. For one, you sitting around in heaven and doing nothing wasn't helping anyone, least of all yourself. I understand you had a lot to deal with, but this ended up with my child literary having to pull you out of suicide. That is nothing a seven year old should have to deal with."

He struggled inward before saying, "Sorry."

Jeanne seemed surprised. Before it got awkward, he said, "Did you send Mugaro after me or what?"

"Yes. I did not like the way Gabriel was molding nur. Besides, I don't believe you deserve to die. Not anymore. That said, I am _very displeased_ to find you all here."

"Ne had a life here, what did you expect."

"I understand, but I wish you'd gone in alone," she said.

"Do you really wanna argue about this thing we can't change anymore, or whas there something else?"

He made short work of the last of the cake while Jeanne gathered her thoughts.

"I've met Lucifer," she said. "And I begin to wonder why you left Helheimr."

Azazel froze.

"I came here to restore the pride of the demons," he said evenly. "I stayed to save them. What else could there be?"

"The fate of the demons will have to be decided soon, and I'm trying to figure out your place in it. Lucifer is not promising."

He sneered. "What about that isn't clear yet?"

Jeanne gestured at the house. "Regardless of your intentions, you didn't release the hostages this Olivia claimed. People will take that into account."

"But—"

"Hear me out. You have to prepare and you cannot dismiss eons of prejudice that humans have for demons. I can only do so much, so work with me here."

Azazel considered for about five seconds before he said, "I'm pretty sure I killed someone in the Essenbeck family tree, so you do not want me involved at all."

Jeanne almost dropped her head on the table. "We're going to try very hard to quell rumors about your true identity. I can play off the rag demon killing murderers, but not your games before. Work with me a little here, please."

There was no more cake to distract him. "What does this have to do with Lucifer?"

"He's creating a nexus to the city to transport the armies of Valeria in secret, and from what I've seen of him, he does not inspire the spirit of cooperation."

Oh, there it was. Perhaps she thought Lucifer had sent him to scout out the area and he'd just stuck around. Perhaps she thought Lucifer would invade ... which might not be off that much ... he staked things out whenever he could, but there were limits, like when he'd mobilized against Bahamut.

"For what it's worth, I don't live for Lucifer anymore," he said. "It's ... "

Jeanne's expression softened. "El Mugaro's one, I suppose that's true. And your people ..."

She'd have met enough demons to know hell wasn't perfect even to its own.

A silence fell. Azazel became too aware of the absurdity of the situation. He was out of his league. So was she. Their encounter ten years ago hadn't exactly been fun, but it'd been _simple_. A coupe like this was not, unless ...

"Eligos went on about power vacuums a lot. I didn't think it meant anything, but now ... what do you think is going to happen if Charioce is overthrown?"

"The Essenbeck family will attempt to make a claim to the throne, supported by Valeria. I have little idea who how that will unfold, but Valeria is still very much about using demons. It won't be good, and this ties to Lucifer as such : I'm running the escape network with Sofiel's help, he's only acting for the war side. Even you in this short time here did more. It feels like a spell waiting to explode."

"So fix it. You _know_ you're more than a torch. Charioce XIII feared you for that reason. It's a common thing both in hell and on earth, the moment got someone who holds the adoration of the masses they're a threat. To his throne."

Judging by that look, it started to sink in.

"You can't be serious."

"Really? You've been dismantling a foundation of faith in the gods — that they are desperately needed to protect humans against demons — and you didn't consider being a leader?"

"I already am, but there is a difference between guiding the people and running a government," she said. "I can't just take the throne, I'd be known an usurper. They inspire no loyalty, and that I am a woman in a world of men makes this all the more difficult."

She looked trapped and unwilling to take the way out. He knew the look. Granted, prior times he'd done this there was a tragic ceveat they were running into, but this wasn't a game. Those things only blew up when he wanted them to.

Jeanne didn't say yes. He didn't think she had to.

"I will see what I can do for your people from whatever position of power I might attain, if you will follow some directions regarding that."

"Fine. I will keep demons from harming your tribe." That wasn't a promise easily made.

"We don't have to trade favors," Jeanne said gently. "If we can be allies on trust instead, all the better."

"Whatever works."

She nodded at the window. "Those webs must go, however."

The _threat_ had to go. They'd probably never quite see eye to eye.

· · · · · · ·

That afternoon Nina learned the word symposium : a large gathering with lots of talking about a topic. They needed a hall bigger than the ballroom, but at least there was some food.

She was supposed to sit still and listen to people talk about science and society, in rows among old men. Nina herself, Chris, Anne and the dragon guard were the only without wrinkles and graying hair.

The king of Manaria insisted in these educative endeavors, having brought along scholars to learn from and teach to Charioce's court. Kind of rude, since the topic was demonic outbreaks. Ghouls also started growing on earth more. A not so subtle hint there were things to be fixed, but Charioce's ministers preferred talking about population control and action over art and theory. Chabrol rambled on about ancient legacies reclaimed and deciphering old runes and mysteries of the world.

Chris spent the time with Argus, while Anne and her entourage was further in the back to take notes. During a quiet moment, Ladis walked by and made eye contact with Nina, nodding at her to come along. Anne noticed and kindly excused Nina by asking her to fetch something for her.

Nina followed Lao outside, but she didn't go too far. If any Onyx Knights appeared, she'd slip back in the hall.

"I've been told you almost caused a spectacle," Ladis said lightly. "What was that about?"

"The Orleans Cannon Fodder," Nina said.

Ladislao chuckled, and it stung. He wasn't different from the casual way he acted at home.

"You really believe in all this stuff?" Nina gestured at the door and droning.

"The control is useful," Chris said. "Chabrol can keep his runes, they're harmless."

"Most demons are harmless too," Nina said.

"You always try to make it about them," Ladis said.

"Chris always tries to make it about himself," Nina said. "All the way to fighting Bahamut. There's a three world war that wouldn't exist if everyone was busy uniting against Bahamut."

"That's all you see? You have the most powerful man in the world in love with you, ready to change the founding laws of his kingdom just so you can get away with your crimes—"

"Crimes I wouldn't have done if he hadn't made such a shitty world. What is wrong with _you_ , Ladis? Didn't our tribe leave hell cause we hated how the place was run?"

"That's different. We're turning our backs on the demons further by joining this kingdom. Charioce managed what we never could : overthrow hell."

"Do you know what he did to me? When he had me in prison ... no, that's wrong. he had me enslaved on that island. I told him I'd break out cause I have friends to save, and him to stop, even though I hated that I had to, cause I loved him. He walked away and left me to rot there. He'll do the same to you and the others once it's convenient."

Ladislao's face twisted in a way she'd never seen— but no, she had seen it. Flashes of memory where she was a dragon came up, far into the world ... he'd come to fetch her ... her heart pounded and she smelled blood. The light of transformation almost broke, but she forced it away.

He took a step back, before calmly saying, "It's your own fault that happened. If you hadn't gotten involved with that filth you'd be fine."

"No, I'd be dead, his knights came after me for a stupid reason and—"

"Oh shut up. You were in the wrong place, right? That's your fault too. Don't betray him, Nina. You have the chance to walk away with all your crimes now. Both recent and past. Don't betray _us_."

With that he returned inside.

Quietly, Nina fetched the excuse for Anne, and returned too. When she did, Ladislao had taken a seat near to her corner. Surrounding him were all the other dragons from her village.

By then, someone else stood on the podium to deliver a speech. Rather than the sour scientists, this one wore regal clothing.

"That is the soon to be Charioce XXI," Anne said.

"Not XVIII?" Nina asked. "Does Chris skip three for the show?"

"The ministers haven't figure that out yet the exact order," Ladislao said behind her. "It doesn't matter. If Chris were to die, there's someone competent to keep the kingdom together. Isn't that great?"

Charioce soon to be XXI droned on. "We must achieve continental unity, bringing together our common political and economic interests. Our young people are determined to furnish every effort by showing love for their work and united determination, and by acts of renunciation and sacrifice. These attributes they will aquire only under the discipline of our noble kingdom."

He nodded at the group of dragons, and Ladislao bowed.

"It is the wise who see the road we must take, led by our hero Charioce XVII. Only the enemies of our unity will seek to escape." At this, the guys chuckled, and one kicked Nina's chair.

"It is a long road yet. For ages, pleasure has prevailed over the spirit of sacrifice. People have made demands rather than put in effort, to the result of our misery. The gods took advantage of this to make us bow by broken will, and the demons fed on our fear. We must no longer let ourselves be swept along by the frame of submission." Someone whispered about ungrateful protesters.

He droned on and on, and with every jab and empty vow, her kin agreed, while Nina remember who they were. More than one had been out to drag her back when she was wild. More than one had returned home with stories of rising above their ranks.

"May Charioce XVII live long and prosperous. I promise to fullful my task with honor and glory for the good of the kingdom, whatever my role shall be." The end of the speech.

Ladislao leaned over to whisper, "You could be more too. You could finally be _useful_."

Nina almost couldn't breathe, and the walls were too close.

She folded her hands and closed her eyes, almost praying to Mugaro and the others to bring her out of here.

 _I can't ..._

She _should_ get out of here. They wouldn't listen to her. She should ...

... and then what she be? Actually useless, now they knew to make wards for resistance against Dromos. No, she better stay, and use Charioce's weakness for her. It had to count for something. It _had_ to.

· · · · · · ·

 **Oktober 2**

· · · · · · ·

Nina was woken by a jolt from Amira, which was followed by a long story about Jeanne's plans to invade the capital. They could use a revolt of the demonic division of the Orleans Knights, the destruction of the anti ichor magic field around the castle, and the staff that had been stolen from Rita. These were to be passed on to Kaisar and Dias.

It didn't need to be those two. Chris would probably die and she wasn't going to let herself be distracted by that, cause her friends and everyone else had to live.

" _I_ will deal with the protective zone," Nina said. "See, good thing I'm in here. Tell me what I need to know."

She didn't give Amira room for bringing up any personal messages.

· · · · · · ·

Kaisar was in the middle of explaining a nobleman about the virtuous regimen of the Onyx Knights when Nina burst from a door. "Brother! We need to talk. Now."

With an iron grip she dragged him away, he could barely blurt out an apology to the man.

Once alone in a room, he managed a single, "What—" before Nina poured out most distressing news.

The Black Troupe's coup was at hand already, the Essenbecks having allied with Valeria and Jeanne d'Arc. He knew the coup might happen, but Jeanne would invade her own kingdom? He had never imagined her to sink so low. True, she had done terrible things, but only when tainted by demons. Otherwise she was strong and righteous.

"Hey, are you listening? I said we could use back up from the inside, so we're gonna free the enslaved demon soldiers, and we're gonna shut down the Dromos field thingy. You did the latter at the arena already, so you're going to teach me how."

"It's not that simple—"

"Why?"

"They've upgraded it since then. It can't be turned down by a single keystone anymore exactly because Azazel escaped." He held up Rocky. "And Rocky helped, you can't do it without this. Besides, last time the key master was somehow knocked out. Now I don't even know who it is."

"Dammit. I guess I'll have to do it the old fashioned way. Anyway, you better get in place as soon as the invasion begins."

"..."

" _Right_?" She glared at him with those inhuman red eyes.

Would he participate? Favaro and Belphegor would let him live it down with sore dissapointment, Azazel didn't expect an awful lot from him anyway. But Jeanne ...

"What about his majesty? Will he be executed?"

"If he doesn't die in battle, maybe. Look, I don't _feel_ like it either, but I want it because it's what needs to happen for everyone's sake."

"But ..."

"Why do _you_ like Charioce so much? I was made for him by fate or something like that, but you? Is he your friend?"

Kaisar looked away. She wouldn't understand.

"Let me show you the demons at arms. We shall see from there on."

· · · · · · ·

Gloomy small tunnels, but they were dry. She focused on the smooth stones, nothing like the rough abyss of the island. It smelled different and as it was daylight, there were no torches. They passed windows and open terrain, cautious until they reached the bunks of the demons.

Nina hitched up her stuffed skirt and descended into the bunks while Kaisar stood guard at the entrance.

Here only dim light came from what once had been drainage holes. The demons were kept close for marching, but out of sight.

A rather large demon stood up, weary of her presence. "What're you down down here, young lady?"

"I'm Nina of the rebellion," she said. "And I'm here to ask for your help and help you break free. Unfortunately, we can't do the latter without the former."

"Huh?"

Nina raised her skirt just enough to unhook the food bags at her garters — bread, chunks of meat, candy, anything she had gotten her hands on. After a quick head count she divided it.

"I know you didn't get much choice in being Orleans Knights—"

"We're demons at arms, not knighted," the big demon said, eying his baquette suspiciously. "We never could be."

"Still. Here's what'll happen : you get a better boss. Have you heard of Jeanne d'Arc? She's coming here. And Azazel is already here, he'll join her."

That got displeased silence and a few eye rolls, until someone in the back stood up.

"It's true."

Wait, that voice ... Nina jumped ahead, met halfway by Nishaol.

"It is you? How did you get here?"

"There was a job opening, so I took it. They take in uncollared demons if they prove their loyalty, or suitably deceive them." Nishaol turned to the other demons. "Listen up, things are different out there. Two new tribes have been formed under the barrier, and as I told you, Azazel's alliance with Jeanne d'Arc is real. We can make a difference in the upcoming battle."

Wow, she was good at her intell. Nina probably hadn't even needed to come.

There wasn't much enthusiasm though. Nina took Mugaro's feathers out of her hair ornament, handing one to the big demon."Here. I don't know very well how they're going to work, but keep them close. If all goes well, they'll either allow the right person to find you, or it'll even help these collars to shut down."

The demon looked between her and the feather. "This doesn't sound very well planned."

Nina gave a shameful grin. "Yeah, we're winging it, but it's something."

She took the other feathers out and passed them to the nearest demons. "Hide them carefully. If you keep them separate it'll be less suspicious. Once it's time, maybe you can pray to Jegudiel or El Mugaro."

"Pray?"

"It's simple, just close your eyes and focus on the name, and say amen, and you'll probably feel magic flow."

"Why would a god answer us?"

"Cause this god was adopted by Azazel and has lived among demons for years. Ne would never reject you just for being a demon."

A silence fell before someone declared, "We're being pranked. This is all some prank from that weird princess who just arrived."

Nina lifted the nearest demon over her head, sat him down again, and declared to her stunned audience, "I do hang with her, but I am a dragon of the rebellion, and I sneaked in here to help."

Well, it wasn't entirely a lie.

Kaisar came down the stairs, hand on hilt. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I just had to prove I wasn't human."

"What's _he_ doing here?" the big guy snarled.

"He's an ally too," Nina said.

"Oh really."

"He was our master for the past five years," a scarred demon said. "Sure, he doesn't treat us as bad as others, but he never set us free, and you should've heard him about the king. Charioce fixed the kingdom this, Charioce made bounty hunters obsolute that, you gotta admit Charioce did a lot of good for the kingdom, and demons did a lot wrong too. Piece of shit."

"If this rebellion works, is he gonna be in charge of the knights again? Cause I'm telling you, that rebellion isn't gonna end that way."

"He's not gonna keep you, really. I swear no humans will own," she said. "In fact, there are new tribes now. You can ally with either Belphegor or Cerberus once you're free, and split off once you go back to hell if you want. Things will be better."

That got almost as much skepticism as the idea of a friendly god.

Before Nina got any further, a guard appeared in the doorway. "Captain Lidfard? What's going on here?"

Captain Lidfard who wasn't guarding. Crap.

Nina was about to invent some excuse about being curious and dense when she noticed the shining green light behind the guard. An Onyx Knight had been called.

No time. She braced and sprinted ahead, pushing Kaisar ahead aside to jump over the men.

She ran back the way she'd come.

A slash crossed her back just as she broke into the sunlight. On the square she rolled to dodge the next blow. Too small to transform here, but the light made it impossible to hide. She ran on, only to be caught by the neck and slung against a wall. Another rolling dodge. Faster than him, she kicked his arm, putting him off balance. Off she was again, but not for far — he grabbed her long skirt from the ground and she smacked against the rock. Ripping the dress , back on her feet, go— he jumped, kicked against the ceiling and blocked her way.

She backed off, and went the way she'd come. Maybe the demons could provide a diversion.

What she got was something like it : a whirling darkness. Her attacker stopped as the beast hurled past Nina. He caught it in a sphere. The beast trashed, shrieked so loud it echoed.

Nina slid below, grabbed his foot and slammed him to the ground. Before he could get up, she kicked him over, breaking his focus. The beast hurled itself at him again, a thick snake teared the helmet off. Within a blink, the man's head was a smear against the wall.

Only now Nina got a good look at the creature : a skinless black goat with four horns, the top two of which mimiced Azazel's.

"You're one of his goats, right?" This got a nod. "Thank you."

A metalic band around its ribs crossed the shoulders, surrounded by maforms growths and feathers; wings kept from growing by force. Between the wings a much larger black serpent emerged backward, solid and scaled unlike the shadow snakes. It's been blinded with a headset, but could still smell. It focused on approaching Kaisar.

The goat stood up, staggered on bleeding legs towards Nina. Just as she reached out, it collapsed. The poor beast looked in terrible shape.

Kaisar stopped at the corpse of her attacker, looked sadly down at it. Guilty, while Nina felt nothing for him.

He looked just as guilty at the goat, but that lasted less long. "You both need to go back where you came from."

Nina held the goat's head, wondering whether in animal form they could understand words, or maybe remember in case Azazel linked again.

"Thank you, really. But you have to go back to the cage now before they'll kill you. We'll get you out later. I left Mugaro's feathers with the demons at arms, I'm sure they'll break you out too."

She couldn't do anything about these wounds — tying them with her dress would betray she'd been here — so she just lifted the entire creature and followed Kaisar to its cage.

· · · · · · ·

Favaro waved his hand before Azazel's eyes, just to get it slapped away.

"You blanked out there, did you lose focus?" Rita asked.

"Onyx Knights tried to kill Nina."

So apparently Nina had been in the Orleans Order zone, encountered hostility, and Kaisar had set loose the goat they kept there for training. Azazel had promptly murdered the Onyx Knight. Azazel was pissed off about how wrong Nina was on her safety, but Favaro held some hope Kaisar was coming around.

"Cerberus. Anything your community magic crap can tell about what the hell is up with Charioce to Nina?" Azazel asked.

"I can't tell _anything_ ," Cerberus said. "Charioce's bar is so low, his mercy for Nina is a rising diapir at best."

"More importantly," Favaro said. "Nina's left those feathers, can we do anything with that?"

"Hmm ... we'll have the mist musicians work on expanding the potential," Cerberus said. "If they can use this as a channel to work Mugaro's power through those feathers, we're going to have at least three dozen inside allies. However, that depends on their willingness to risk death and actually revolt. Favaro, how likely is Kaisar to get his human buddies to revolt?"

Favaro tilted his hand. "Meh. He's practically as smitten with Charioce as Nina is, with a coating of duty. The best you're getting out of him is stopping Charioce, but he's not gonna endanger the guy."

"Lidfard's brat is in love with Charioce too?" Azazel snapped. "I knew he was insane but _that much_?"

Favaro shrugged. "If only it were that simple. It's not insanity. You know all this crap about knightly honor—"

"He was so eager to murder _you_ in the name of that!" Azazal spat. "Why isn't he aiming that at Charioce?"

Favaro would've shrugged it off with Kaisar being a stubborn, but maybe he was a little tired too. "Kaisar's always been up to his neck with honor and loyalty to kings. You know his old man, right? Kaisar used to hate the drilling and ran off to hang with me, but it must've stuck anyway. For all I know, he now thinks shitty authority doesn't mean there's no love. Or he's being too honorable. Hmm. You don't happen to have a non torture way to deal with those?"

"Of course not."

He didn't let it show, but Favaro began to regret his hands off way of dealing with Kaisar's erratic life choices.

· · · · · · ·

"A friend's pet?" Anne asked while casting a recovery spell on Nina's back. "Who just happens to be here, and you knew exactly where in the castle, and they just happened to break out, and just happened to pummel you by accident?"

The fact that she'd dismissed her entourage made it clear she expected something more. Correctly.

"Is it that weird I'd have demonic friends? Aren't you friends with a dark dragon?"

"Yes, but she turned against the forces of darkness. If your friend's pet is captive here, it must be on their side."

Nina laughed nervously. "Yeah ... speaking of friends, what's the deal with this alliance?" Nina asked. "I don't mean Manaria coming in here. I mean the big one across the continent. All humans are suddenly friends now?"

"You don't know?" Anne looked like she's rather ask why the sudden change of topic.

"Nope. Detached commoner, you know."

"Being adjecant to Eibos, Anatae suffered more than other countries from Bahamut. In exchange for financial support to invade hell, they lent zommorod powered automatons. His success provided his country cheap and freed us from the threat of demonic invasion. An alliance that began as a charity event is not the stability of the continent. We dread what hell will do if we ever lose Teutoiskas's support, so the recent attacks have left my country nervous."

"And you agree with the war with the gods too?"

Anne shook her head, before changing her mind to nod. "I don't like the war, but the reasons I see. The gods had enough power to give Dromos a run for its money, so why did they never use that power to deal with hell? They left us dangling on the barest strings. I cannot condemn the actions this kingdom took when it saved so many lives. Charioce XVII set up stations at every hell nexus to prevent warships from entering, and stamped out the practice of dark sorcery to summon demons. Resources were free to improve the kingdoms, and—"

" _He could just guard the gates_? That was all?" Nina dropped herself back on her bed. "I can't believe it. I keep having to say this over and over and over, don't I? None of that needed the innocent citizens of hell to suffer. He could hire dark sorcerers like Rita to make ghouls and zombies to work for him. No need to abduct citizens!"

"Hell has ordinary citizens? Is that something your friend told you?"

Hmm, did she actually have to go along with Merlin's ruse, when it probably was to smooth out stuff for Chris only?

"It's something I've seen myself. And so has the king, by the way. Did you hear any rumors about the king and a red dragon?" Nina said while she let herself dwell a little on bad memories, and the dragon trickled through her skin.

"Yes, but how could they mean anything? The greatest king of earth — don't let my father hear I said that — who overthrew hell wouldn't fool around like that. They're even talking of forbidden love ..."

Anne trailed off as the scales pushed through Nina's skin, and her nails turn to claws.

After a drawn out silence, Anne said, "You're magenta."

Nina let go a sigh of relief. "Finally! Yes, but those morons call me a red dragon."

"You're a rebel?" Anne scooted back, and Nina felt some magic flare. "So that friend of yours' pet is here because—"

"Don't worry, you're not my enemy! Please don't attack, I really don't want to hurt you. It's just that the king hurts a lot of people."

Anne relaxed a little. "Well, won't you elaborate? You have to admit that's hardly incriminating."

Nina took a breath and said, "I'm the king's weakness, and most of everything you know about hell is wrong. I know your friend Grea didn't have good experience with the shadows, and neither did my tribe. The thing is, it's that way for most other demons too. Can you cancel an hour of meeting with court ladies or so?"

Anne swallowed, but her power subsided. "Alright."

"Great! I never had a shot at going into detail!"

· · · · · · ·

At evening Nina hoped for Amira, but expected Charioce. Neither showed.

Perhaps he knewof the incoming invasion and was preparing for it, so fear drove her out of her room, through servant passages and avoiding Onyx Knights. A friendly servant gave her directions to a rather bland room, not dissimilar to anything else in the castle. Books, desk, and further ... weaving noise?

In a side room she found a zombie on an old loom. It was so bizarre, Nina forgot to say hi.

Appraising, the woman said, "You're no servant, young lady"

"No, I'm Nina. Uhm, hello."

The woman tensed at once. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to see what my boyfriend is scheming."

That caused such a disgusted sneer from the woman, Nina was almost offended. But curiosity won out. "Why is a zombie in his inner quarters?"

"Why is a dragon in his court? You tell me, I haven't figured out why he plays with the darkness." One hand still on the loom, she looked at her other hand. "Or why I am a filthy thing of hell now."

"You know, it's becoming my mantra to explain people they don't know enough, but I don't have anything for this. You're still you, right? I can't even tell what you think is filthy about that."

The woman cast her a long, hard stare. "That's because you're a dumb wench."

Nina crossed her arms. "Who turns into a dragon and could eat you."

"Ah, you're that one? I've been informed you are not very good at that," she said. "He insists you are no threat because you need special circumstances to change. _Depraved_ circumstances."

Huh. It struck Nina how long it was ago that she'd changed for being horny — it had to have been on the island. That strange moment of his mercy, the death knell of her twitchy heart.

Her father's death stood out clearer in her mind now, no longer drove her into panic. She set it aside of this woman's death, and that of Amira's mother.

 _My dedication lies with my duties alone, as I honor my pitiful mother's legacy._

Zombieness aside, she was such an ordinary woman. His dead mother's honor wasn't worth more than the demon mothers dying, or anyone. Who was she anyway? He only defined as by nature of being his mother and wanting to go to the castle.

"You are the king's mother, aren't you?"

"And you're Nina Drango."

"Yep," she said with a small smile. "Are you one of Rita's, uhm, friends?"

The woman gave a long, raspy sigh. "If that's what we call the undead nowadays, yes. Unfortunately. And you are, even more unfortunately, my son's girlfriend. You have no idea how little you deserve him, and I can't even tell whether it's because you're of hell's blood, or he's lost his mind."

"I don't think he lost his mind so much he's all up on his ego. He's so dead set on fighting Bahamut alone he's turned heaven and hell into his enemies."

She dropped the thread. "He's doing what now?"

Nina rushed through the broad strokes of her story to explain how she knew what she knew.

Chris had already told her of his conquest of heaven and hell, and how he expected to die fighting Bahamut, to go down in a glorious death for the purpose of his tribe.

And she knew something, for she said, "You said a ghost right out of Bahamut told you this?"

"Yeah, her name's Amira."

"Amira? That Amira. Oh that takes the cake. My son's been haunted by the ghosts of Zeus and Satan for years! I believed it revenge and it's not even that. What is he even doing? Did I actually mean he had to go overthrow heaven and hell? Noooooo, I meant he shouldn't waste time buying stupid charms or have an expensive wedding. What does he do instead? Burn hell _somehow_ , desecrate the gods themselves, flaunt the borders of life and death. While Bahamut's threatening the world! Multi tasking is good, I told him, but he finds a way to take that too far. All that, and the only thing that works him up is whether he should lose his virginity to a dragon? Honestly, I don't recognize my son."

"Wait, what do you mean, not even that?" Nina blurted, because she definitely didn't need to be thinking about that last part because oh dear that went in a direction—

"Amira, the one that _got me killed_. He's been letting her spy on him for years, can you believe?"

Nina could believe the woman had a lot of pent up frustration, and she might've vented along if not for that bomb. Charioce knew Amira was independent somehow.

"What did he tell you about this ghost?"

"It's just why he wouldn't be around and how I should hide in case any of his black guard gets any ideas. He's going to capture that thing and—hey, where ... the youth these days!"

Nina ran. Amira was projecting, but this was the man who figured out how to revive ancient technology, command it, and overthrow heaven and hell.

Nina sensed the dreadful radiation of Dromos's power before she reached the hall. Once there she burst through the door.

The floor with its hexagon star stood alight with green power, surrounded by Chris, Merlin, Chabrol, numerous Onyx Knights, and the ancient forest dragon in his human form. It was the latter who spoke against apparent thin air, but as Nina walked Amira faded into view as a woman both divine and demonic. More miserable than Nina had ever seen her, she faced Nina.

"They won't let me leave."

"What do you think you're doing?" Nina said.

"Lightening my burden. Only when one is no longer haunted by the shadows of one's sense of guilt, one gains the inner rest and the outer strength to pull out the weeds. For years, she had me believe I had failed to achieve this state. As Zeus and Satan I saw her as manifestations of my guilt alone. I saw my weakness when I should have seen a spy." He faced Nina now. "A misconception. It is only you who truly tests me. Tell me, was your temptation part of the plan too?"

"No," Amira said. "Nina did not have me. I declared war on fate and you long before we met her."

The forest dragon growled low. "Oh girl, last time you did that you played right into fate. How do you know you won't do so again?"

"Now I stand outside this world."

"Then you should stay out," Merlin said. The circle below Amira raged high, and Amira's form flickered and weakened until it condensed in the form of a girl, who folded into nothing but a star.

Just like that, Amira was gone.

"You just sent away the one who could tell us more about Bahamut than anyone," Nina muttered.

"I secured my kingdom's safety," the Onyx captain said. "All threats are eliminated.

Nina ignored him, still facing Chris. Despite her resolve to be strong, her voice quivered. "You can secure so much more by having mercy. Why don't you? You trample of everyone in the world, except the opinion these guys have of you?"

"They found me, but I do not obey them," he said. "What I do is only reasonable."

"Reasonable? You're on the brink of war! You can keep your pride and strength if you just declare to the world you'd offer the same respect to the gods as you now offer my tribe, if only they behave."

She didn't actually want Jeanne to stop and couldn't let on that Mugaro was here, but it had stopped being about that. Some part of her, even now, wanted Chris to relent for his own sake.

"There's no point to that," Chabrol said. "Silly girl, you don't know anything of politics or government."

Merlin just glared at her.

The forest dragon looked heavenward, either tired or disappointed.

Chris was unreadable as always.

So Nina dropped on her knees. "At least withdraw the command to kill El d'Arc. _Please_."

He still said nothing.

"Chris, if you really want to save the world from Bahamut, you need to stave off a war. Give them a sign of good will."

That's when he said, cold as so often, "Perhaps it is time for you to accept we can never dance again."

There wasn't much hope left to break, this was it. Always the same dismissal, as if dancing was all that existed in her mind.

Nina just faced Merlin. "Remember what I said about stupidity? I'm not supposed to think about how I feel, says fate, only about how he feels. I was made that way by fate? Couldn't fate have made him better then?"

"Fate has no heart, and it is better off for it," Merlin said. "If it needs a man like him, there is a purpose."

"If it needs him, fate's stupid too."

"Azazel sent you, didn't he?" Merlin said.

Oh that was it.

"I'm done with your stupidity, and no goodnight to you."

She turned around, only to find the door blocked by two Onyx Knights. Oh.

She hadn't thought this whole visit through.

But Charioce stepped ahead, and without looking offered his arm. She laced hers through it, following him out the door.

The tremor in her step did not go unnoticed, as he slowed down.

Once they were further down the hall he said, "I thought you wanted peace? Then why stir rebellion?"

"To save as much people as possible."

"That sounds so rehearsed."

"I'm faking part of that. I prefer the people close to me to be alive first," she said. "But at least I'm _doing_ it."

"If that's how you live, all the more reason to leave. We will never align unless you throw those ideas away. That Azazel, he can summon you, right?"

"Not anymore," Nina said. "He needs Amira's help for that. Hell's power doesn't reach far enough."

He wouldn't Amira go. The limits to his mercy were right there, his everlasting contest with his own achievements. If he died, he escaped all justice. If he lived it could only be by escaping the world and its justice. Maybe fate expected her to run away with him, his ever smiling salvation. Yet he exhausted her, and whatever she had loved about him became shapeless. She hid a void, like the man who had reasoned he should not feel grief for others.

Not that she could do that easily. It felt like she ought to cry, but couldn't feel.

The door of her room opened, and his hand was gentle on hers as he led her inside. He stayed at the door, a perfect gentleman if only she excused everything else he had done.

"Goodnight."

He smiled again. Lovely if he had not directed it at her distress.

"Goodbye," she whispered. Goodbye to him, to everything she wanted him to be, to a life lived in romantic love alone. He wasn't Chris anymore to he. XVII is what he wanted to be and he was going to live and die with that.

· · · · · · ·

 **Oktober 3**

· · · · · · ·

Favaro's response to Mugaro passing on Nina's information was a simple, "Her soul merged with Bahamut, she'll be fine."

"How can you be so damn casual about this?" Azazel snapped.

"Hey, there's just two options, living with her being stuck the harbinger of Götterdammerung or getting upset." And he just shrugged at that!

The glass Azazel had been holding broke into tiny shards.

"Oh come on," Cerberus whined. "Stop ruining our stuff!"

"Amira can only ever project to one place," Favaro said. "She's riding some kind of magic, so they probably hijacked that, not Amira herself. The real problem is if Nina needs a lift out, so how about we do a good job conquering that castle today?"

"Tch. Fine."

It wasn't fine.

· · · · · · ·

At a better time Jeanne would have gone out the doors, bring together the humans and demons under one banner, but today's blessings had to be limited. This was the battle of Valeria and the Black Troupe, not the true uniting she would have liked. The element of surprise trumped other concerns.

It was just her, Sofiel and the unicorn in Augustin's little church, now the home of her child's magic. It brimmed with power so to Sofiel it was easiest to sanctify Jeanne here.

Sainthood lay before Jeanne again, when mere months ago she thougth herself forever cursed, then learned curses meant little, and now she didn't know what to value it as anymore. Well, save as a gift from Sofiel. When one no longer was on their knees in worship, the exchange between god and mortal was more lopsided. Jeanne gained power, Sofiel at most had two avenues to express her own.

It was of course only a tactical choice this time, not an honor before heaven. Jeanne was certain Sofiel had not asked Gabriel for permission.

It was just them in the empty room, hiding from prying eyes. It shouldn't feel special. Jeanne still took a knee rather than pray. A knight before a lady, rather than a mortal before a god. An exchange of duty and strength.

That should be all, but it wasn't when Sofiel asked, "Would you allow me to me to try another way?"

Wings wide, Sofiel laid her hands on Jeanne's cheeks, leaning in slowly. Giving time to move away.

Jeanne might not be experienced, but she had seen this. A blaze of well trained objections set in — not with a god, not with a woman, not with a superior, not in a church — but they lingered behind. Jeanne let her.

A brief touch, the barest exchange of breath past their lips, before holy power set alight within Jeanne's soul. Jeanne closed her eyes as the sense of Sofiel lingered and faded, soon overpowered by the change upon her, but not forgotten.

This was more than Michael had ever given her. Inward her power converged into a single point, all hers to wield with a subtle knowledge. Wings in her back sprung into existence, ready and known to be used. New armor formed around her.

When she opened her eyes, a halo was alight over Sofiel's head, the way Raphael, Uriel and Michael had once had. The radiant smile was better still.

Sofiel let go of a breath, as if she were the one to be in awe. "As you should be, Jeanne."

White wings unfolded to match her goddess, a token that paled any lady's favor or gift of gods to humankind. Yet as Sofiel gave it, she did not allow Jeanne to feel unworthy.

The unicorn bowed, allowing Jeanne to step on. Sofiel handed her her own staff, transformed into a spear. Jeanne covered Sofiel's hand with her own for a moment, a quiet thanks before she faced war.

· · · · · · ·

Dawn barely had broken when took position. The fog turned thicker and thicker, obscuring the sun entirely. Near the barrier at the main street Belphegor, Azazel, Trismegistus and and Durahanem with a Red Troupe squad, concealed in an empty house. They were a haphazard security in case the war spread beyond the castle, but if all went well they'd keep it to the castle. There wasn't supposed to be an air battle over the city at all, so they'd try moving into the castle to aid.

The Red Troupe had arranged a path for them to reach the forest ring. They had also arranged for a few demons to pose as slaves to be brought into the lower ranks of the castle, who would attempt to aid from the inside; all equiped with sleep darts of course.

If only Cerberus were willing to help teleport people around once the field was gone ...

Well, Belphegor could forget about that. That was expected. Less so about Kaisar. Since delivering Nina to the castle he hadn't been to the mansion. Even Rita had commented on how odd this was. And annoying, to her.

To Belphegor it was more worrying. The Essenbecks employed Kaisar as insider, what thatmean she did not know. Even if Kaisar was against Charioce at last, he still favored people who weren't much good to the demons.

They waited in the house for the signal. Azazel paced. Belphegor mad an effort to sit still, but wasn't entirely successful.

She was about to walk to the door and ask again when Favaro tapped her on the shoulder. "Y'know I'll spot him before anyone here does."

"I can't help but worry he might either be less than loyal, or caught."

"He'll show up. It'll be a weird day I'm the one doing heroic crap before he does," Favaro said. "Or get killed without me."

"He's five years late already, you weren't," Belphegor said.

"Tch. I bet he won't show up at all," Azazel said.

Favaro grinned. "I'll bet you my leg he will."

"He'll probably be late," Belphegor said. "If you're right, I'll improve your leg, though honestly, you should let ... uhm, someone fix that better. And you, what if I'm wrong?"

"I don't know. Take Walfrid as a ward or something."

She made a face; the guy hadn't even bothered not being drunk when he'd approached her. "Deal."

"What're we gonna ask from him though?" Favaro said. "Our rag demon's broke."

"Oh, I can imagine a thing or two that can benefit us. Should we make a formal contract?" Belphegor already cast a little contract circle.

It was easy to get caught up with Favaro's lax attitude, but deep down she couldn't shake the anxiety. An attack on the castle, the worst enemy of hell. Chaos, did she need the distractions.

Trismegistus rolled her eyes. "Why is this Kaisar even important?"

"Lifelong friend for me, half assed knight for her," Favaro said. "Also the pet of our good doctor."

"It's not about that rock? Rita asked me to keep him alive if we come across him first." Trismegistus asked.

"Wait, when?" Favaro said. "Rita's supposed to stay for the injured."

· · · · · · ·

Rita quietly followed the steps through the dark. "I have a tendency to poke at mysteries, do you understand that?"

"I'm counting on it. In fact, I'll help you along a little : how did Nina find out happened to Amira?"

· · · · · · ·

Another dull symposium in the big hall. Murmurs, exchange of books, theories on Dromos, and so on. If the war broke out, maaaybe she should give them a heads up, see whether anyone defected ... nah, they were all here caused then wanted to be. Though, Anne knew a little and had just gotten into a quiet but heated debate with her father.

Manaria would be ready for the battle regardless of the king now, all orders passed, but ... hmm, it wouldn't be so long anymore. Maybe she could set the stage.

Okay, if Nina was honest she didn't want to leave without chewing out XVII. It might be the last time she ever saw him. And he presented the option so well sitting center to the hall on a platform, surrounded by equipment and scholars demonstrating stuff.

At the first glimmer of demonic energy coming from the hills, Nina marched up to XVII.

The people didn't quite silence, but many looked at her bold behavior.

XVII looked up, barely startled as she stopped before him.

"I'm breaking up with you."

"Hmmm? What way?"

"I mean that in the _we're done dating_ way," Nina said. "You's an amazing dancer and awfully attractive, but then what? We can't build a relationship on ... what's the fancy word, again? Esdetiek?"

"Aesthetics ..." Anne muttered.

"That, yeah. Anyway, everything else I like about you isn't true. You's not not safe, not kind, and us being fated really starts to feel like I'm not allowed a choice."

The crowd broke out in murmurs and at the edge of her vision, black figures moved near the curtains and doors.

XVII stood up. "Very well, what cause would I have to argue? Let us never see again."

So damn cold. Right there, she couldn't stand it anymore. Pink flames sat ablaze around her.

"She's a demon!"

"Do you even know what that means?" Nina unfolded her wings, and let the scales come out. Lifting her head, she told everyone, "I am of the dragon tribe to the east, descendents of demons who turned their back on _hell's corrupt leaders_ , the way Jeanne d'Arc has turned on humankind's corrupt leader. I am of two bloodlines, and I stand proud in the heritage of both of my people in rejecting unjust kings.

XVII, had you marched into hell to dispose only of its cruel leaders I would have been your proud ally, but not this way. You took downtrodden people and ground them into the dust and then you dare claim you're why the world is better?"

"Well, red dragon, were you not tired of repetition?"

Nina thumbed at the people around them. "I bet it's new for them."

Turning her back on XVII, she faced their audience. She couldn't appeal to these people for the welfare of the demons alone, but surely they cared for their own?

"I am Nina of the rebellion. It's our job to know _what_ we are fighting, and for what." She pointed at Ladislao. "And not like them. You won't see anyone but young men because they don't represent our tribe. We don't wage war on innocent demons any more than on innocent humans. Like us, there are countless other demon tribes that Charioce dragged into this."

"You know nothing!" The sharp voice belong to Merlin, carrying magic that stung through the air. "All are subject to the hand of fate, and you try to unravel it like this? Stop already!"

Merlin's words caused confusing muttering, while Merlin seethed below her forced composure. Hmm, Nina might've hit more than one sensitive spot. Maybe she could hit a third.

"You repeat yourself too. Maybe you're right and fate made me. It felt like that alright, that I'm born to dance with him So?" She threw over the nearest table. "That's it? That's all I get? My destined love is based on a hobby, and in return, I just have to survive him?"

"Of all people you should have been the one to see what lays in his heart," Merlin said.

"I've met Chris, thank you very much. I loved him, but he's devoted his life to being Charioce XVII at the expense of everyone else. He had more choices than anyone else, so his actions prove who he is to us. We don't live loose of the world," Nina said loud enough for everyone to hear. " _Our_ world, yet he crowned himself to make everyone's choices for them. We'll all be sacrifices for him when he brings Bahamut here. He slaughtered the strongest demons in the arena or used them as fodder in the army, and the gods do not heed your prayers anymore. Who will raise the shields to protect us?"

"That's a lot of allegations you give, girl," the king of Manaria said. "All the world knows the holy knight exiled Bahamut ten years ago. Do you have proof?"

"I cannot prove it, but I need to you know who to blame once it happens. Gods and demons have already allied. How many saw that day, when the holy child came to the aid of the demons? That was my friend Jeanne's child," Nina said. "We will all stand against Charioce and the threat he poses to us. Against the warmongering he caused. All tribes, versus you, until the throne doesn't have any Charioce on it. Jeanne d'Arc will come to Anatae to bring justice and peace. You still have some choice, your majesty."

"What do you say to that, king Charioce?"

"I bow only before impersonal nature, that which knows no good or evil, no love or hate. Life itself is my idol, that governed by eternal struggle that grows our strength. Peace will be our undoing, for it shall make us complacent before the powers of the world. No, we must struggle to elevate ourselves. Our success as a tribe alone is all which determines right or wrong."

"Your species is mine too. I am a child born out of peace, that is the only heritage I'll embrace. Not your warmongering. Take your nonsense to the grave, XVII."

"What grave?"

A thunderous explosion outside sent part of the wall collapsing. Even as it was out of sight of the windows, they burst with the force of it. Nina pushed all her force into her wing beats to blow the glass clear of herself and those near.

"The one you'll get today." She spun to the door, swung them open and glared back. "And stop calling me red. I'm _magenta_."

· · · · · · ·

The drums of war in her ears were both familiar and foreign after the years. The sense of Dromos was far closer as she tore into the field, a constant thick sense far worse than on the island. Yet better, because she was no longer starved and broken. Holy power in her veins, this place was hers to destroy. Jeanne had not missed battle and pain, but she had missed the power driving a noble cause. Something she had put to sleep for ten years coursed through her veins again. The restrictive laws of heaven and earth no more holding her down. This army ramshackle and dishonorable, but the goal was freedom by whatever means. It was worthy.

The projection of Sofiel emerged from her spear, aimed at the foundations of the castle's outer ring. Wyverns swooped at her, but they were nothing compared to ghouls she'd fought in the past. Sofiel's power measured up to Michael's, and her aim was steady : broke wings could send the wyverns down, leaving her free to create an opening on the hillside.

A third shot was enough to send it crashing down.

The grounds of the hills broke open as automatons crawled out, and armies on horse and wyvern and foot along with them.

She held back until they were close enough, dealing with the Anataen wyvern riders. Her own people now strangers to her; men chosen by the model of Charioce XVII. A mindset she almost lost herself to, but still she focused only on the Onyx Knights. They were dealt with so easily, it was difficult to imagine hell falling to them. Throwing her spear into a spin sliced three straight through the middle, a process easily repeated a few more times until half the Onyx air force was dead.

As she pursued the others to the arched wall, a familiar voice reached her.

"Lady Jeanne!"

The source was a cluster of knights atop the outer wall, their swords sheated and a banner raised. Dias stood at their head.

She landed before them, at which they took a knee. "We heard of your endeavors in the other lands, and wish to join your cause. This king has lost his honor long ago. Let us fight for you!" Dias said.

Despite everything she smiled. "It would be to the honor of both you and me. I accept. May we—"

Thunderous roaring echoed between the walls.

A dozen dragons rose into the sky, soon joined by the wyvern riders. Two circled between the arches and castle, right at Jeanne.

"Work only on the inside and tell anyone you meet of the invasion that you work for the _saint of Sofiel_. Claim one of our banners as soon as possible."

· · · · · · ·

Nina was quite lost in the castle, so when a familiar voice reached her with, "This way!" it was welcome.

Nishaol waved at the end of the corridor. As she ran ahead in the dark, Nina could only follow her footsteps, further, down stairs, past unlocked gates and the occasionally corpse. After a long time in the dark — or perhaps only long for her rapid heartbeats — they emerged to poorly lit double door. Demons in Orleans armor already waited for her, a few of the most heavy set hitting at the doors.

With every step, she let the transformation take hold, keeping her mind.

The door wasn't open yet. so she gathered all her power in her arms, joining them until it collapsed. When it did, its sound overpowered the war outside just for a second.

Beyond it lay a vast, circular hall full of caster around a network of crystals. The pulsing green power flared up in the presence of demons. Guards flooded in, some of them endowed with zommorods of their own.

Nina calmly unleashed herself. Rather than, chains slipped off. The pulse of dragon wasn't as strong, but it rose, and scales broke first. She unfolded her wings. To the demons she said, "Cover me a little more. It won't be long."

· · · · · · ·

"I'd wish you good fortune, but fate appears to disfavor us," Belphegor said. "May our skill overcome it."

"Let's keep it with fleeing if we have to," Azazel said.

"That I can do," Belphegor said. "Can you?"

"I'm trying," Azazel said, which got a very sheepish smile from Belphegor. "I will, alright?"

"I hope. Well then, farewell till not too long."

Belphegor and her team would infiltrate from the gates that the Red Troupe's insiders should open. Azazel's goal was a little more suited to his violence, so she cirled a quarter of the castle below the mist. Staying under the trees, he took out any passing wyvern and ambushed a mecha stomped through. Easy enough, the Onyx Knights were occupied elsewhere.

The dragons were a problem for them, and the forest was alight soon after they entered the fray. So much for his cover; not that the fire hurt him.

The dragons burned through the first ground forces, and didn't notice him as coming from behind. A flock of novel automatons plowed at the dragons, long armed and on all fours until facing them. They wrestled two dragons to the ground, but the others rose up. Azazel sent a swarm of serpents at them. Scales didn't stop him, and he knew to aim at the muscles and throat. His targetstarted coughing blood, its neck injuries slowly filling up the lungs. Another burst of serpents at the lungs, and the dragon could only choke up air and flames. Without risk, he could approach and slice the head off.

As the corpse thundered to the ground, it was the only sound. The main forces had already moved on. Four more automatons flocked at the constrained dragons, Azazel shot at the nearest and carved his sword into the dragon's head. Its captors left.

The other dragon was still and its automatons move on too, stupid things not realized their target was faking it.

Azazel got to it before it got up, driving a sword into its head. On reflex the dragon shifted, leaving behind a frightened human who instantly became a dragon again. Azazel took one wingbeat ahead to slice its neck off. He didn't even get partly through before the shift happened again. The human rolled away and was back to a whole dragon a second later.

They had the same transformative reflex as Nina, but even faster. The only way to kill them was destroyed the head quick enough.

He went right through the fire and drove his sword into the brain. That did the trick.

Nina hadn't convinced this one to stand down, he doubted she'd managed with others. Knowing her she'd still feel bad about this dead. Well, she'd have to deal.

· · · · · · ·

The dragon wasn't as forceful as it could be, her transformation slow. Blood covered her fists, skin too weak yet even as she stood taller than the people around her. That there even was a way to detect the dragon's state — how own — was almost distracting. She always had lost herself — no, just her awareness — she was here, and she was one alone. Always had been, she had just forgotten herself.

She was her own to find beyond grief and dissappointment. With her dragon scales, mingling with the last memories of XVII was growing frustration. It wasn't fair that her family, her home, had deceived her, that her lover had let her rot, that fate set her on this path. Fearful rage made way for focused hate. She pushed herself further on this, just barely on to her awareness.

"Hurry," Nishaol said, blurred in her shapeshifting ears.

She dug her growing claws in the crevices of the floor, not hurrying, that made it more difficult. She went pulse by pulse, one burst of power at a heartbeat. Her father's worried face as he ran to her mingled with the enclosing walls and the labored sounds of slaves. The walls were too close, but she could change that.

Her father almost reached her, the wood — the island — collapsed and they fell — she fell between the rocks — it was always cold, even here.

She'd left Chris behind, but her father didn't deserve to die. Or be compared to XVII. She couldn't say sorry to him and couldn't forget. It'd hurt forever, but she could still do this right. Destroy this stone, prevent others from being enslaves or felled by it, and her father had nothing to do with it.

As fangs finished growing, her awareness remained. Fire built between her jaws, higher and higher until the heat trembled the air. In one fierce blast she let it go, launched at the crystals.

What served as a chest spike to slow a landing dragon, warped and overgrown on her hybrid self, now easily tore into the crystals.

Her wings unfolded. Beating down all the power used to make her tons of weight rise, all the zommorods in the room shattered. With the dying green light, she was left with darkness and cheering.

· · · · · · ·

Favaro inched ahead below the bushes till he raised his hand; the signal that he was at the edge of the field. Belphegor tensed up, but no alarm went off.

At the chirping of birds, a specific safety code of the Red Troupe, he stood straight. Sarvo joined him, muttering up something, though he grew quiet when Belphegor joined him.

A small service gate opened, just across a bridge between forest and castle. That'd be a quick rush, the guards taken out above, but they waited. Belphegor had to join, for tactical reasons, but most of all social. At the verge of war it felt silly, that she was more nervous than before. She couldn't blame it on fear for what had gone wrong last time, rather, anxiety for what might go wrong now. She was to put herself in the spotlight and be some kind of example?

· · · · · · ·

Sofiel sensed the field switch down, but it didn't make an immediate impact on the battle — against humans, the green power hadn't been used at all. Charioce was left with a considerable force, especially when backed by the skilled Manarians.

She was more skilled yet.

Opening a single gate for a mecha did not exhaust her. A second one, and a third one passed before she needed break. Like this she brought the automatons behind enemy lines. Moving on, she opened gates and attacked Charioce's forces where they least expected it.

She was no warrior and her gates were limited, but they were just humans. A summoned spirit or two, and she left behond on fields of frozen faces. The scraps were picked up by the mortal forces with such ease, heaven was insulted to ever have groaned before the blade of Charioce.

· · · · · · ·

Nina was in the middle of tearing apart the containers when the demons around her cried out.

"Look who's here."

Nina whirled around to the voice, only restrained by the half broken constructs.

Ladislao and three others had entered the hall, one changed to a dragon. Dead demons lay at his feet, and the dragon was in the middle of biting another to death.

"Don't!" she roared out.

They all froze.

"You're conscious?"

Nina tore the last metal out of the floor and hurled it at them. "Let him go!"

The dragon just bit down and threw the corpse at her.

Nina spread her wings. "Everyone, get out!"

The demons scurried to one of the other exits. When one of her tribe lunged after the slowest, she pounced. Biting one of the horns, she janked his neck sideways. As he jerked free, he neck was at odd angle, while her mouth bled.

"Play nice, Nina," Ladis said as if they were at home and he was just babysitting her.

Play? This was war and she had fought him before, she could remember now. Just before Chris — no, XVII tamed her. He'd been after her and the demons already ... and he would kill them. The image of him and enemy blended more and more.

"You're not here to play either." The last demon out, she closed the door with her hind leg.

"Indeed. He let you get away because he's too weak to personally kill you, but he's strong enough to leave it to others," he said. "So here I am. Again."

She could handle this if he had been alone. But three others, and herself aware that she'd have to kill family ...

· · · · · · ·

Kaisar joined the other Onyx Knights in front of the castle airship docks, as Charioce and his entourage prepared to leave.

The element of surprise and the depleation of Anatae's armies set up a consecussive list of failures. Essenbeck's troups had turned on them and someone had opened the outer gates; as he'd expected. Valeria's troops flooded in, mecha scaled the walls or were sent in by gateway, the protective field was down, merciless Azazel in the sky, and Manaria's armies gathered only to protect their own king.

Anatae would fall. The king knew. They all knew.

Kaisar had hoped for a stalemate where both sides would realize the folly of their ways. He just didn't know how to affect that.

The gates closed behind them, now their task was to prevent pursuit.

That alchemist blocked every attack, leaving her magic to trap them to the ground. Ordinary soldiers lacked the strength to even take a single step.

Rather than further attacks, Belphegor flew up; far enough over them to avoid a range green attack. At the edge of the warped ground Orleans Knights both human and demon gathered.

"Surrender to saint Jeanne d'Arc, and no harm will come to you! Your own king saw worth in allying with dragons, do not fear to suffer shame for my wings. I would not have you bow to me, I only herald."

The Onyx Knights tried to attack anyway, but Belphegor backed away. Two mecha broke through the walls surrounding the path, intercepting the spheres with their own.

Rocky refused to attack at all, but Kaisar could still form a sphere in his other hand.

"We are aware of Bahamut," she said, and gestured at someone ona wall — Favaro. "And we are not without a champion."

"The one and only," Favaro said.

"If you're still the champion against Bahamut, why fight Charioce?" someone called.

"Hey now, he started it. I was just minding my own business when his Onyx Knights get all rude and try to capture me," he said. "He was gonna enslave me to work on that fancy weapon he's got out there. Now look, half of the knights already joined Jeanne and Manaria's princess just ran by with a white flag. There's lots of people who figured out something is wrong."

Belphegor locked eyes with Kaisar. The near ground grew lenient, like an invite for him to move to them. She wanted him to truly betray his king to his death, the very man Kaisar had sworn to protect with his life.

She had never given the impression of a seductress, but now he saw her for one, tempting him away from honor. Favaro as her primary tool.

Kaisar fled across the nearest broken, abandonding his allies on either side. He still had something to do. They wouldn't understand.

· · · · · · ·

Charioce and Chabrol were almost aboard when three mecha broke through the ceiling and stomped into the airship right before him. The skybeast roared out, but without a command post would not obey. As the rest of the ceiling crumbled, an unnatural light fell in.

He expected some deplorable god, but it worse. Jeanne d'Arc a saint once, winged like an angel but resistant to the power of the zommorods as she cleaned through the bridge of the nearest ship's core. How despicable, to wallow in their power rather than one's own.

Countless green spheres he summoned only stalled her, so he drew his sword. Before they met in combat, blue hellfire fell down to her, scorching the docks so close he had to shield.

The zombie dragon leaned into the busted ceiling, jaws snapping at Jeanne.

At the same time as she slashed its lower jaw off, Azazel's serpents pulled the dragon's neck back. He almost cut it off, but a green sphere caught him. Screaming, he was pulled toward Charioce by the Onyx Knights. Jeanne went after, only for the dragon to block her path.

Charioce drew his sword, ran at the demon and slashes. At the last second Jeanne planted her spear between blade and target, but it left her open for attack. As the dragon fired, his knights had to drop Azazel to shield themselves.

In the inferno, Jeanne and Azazel could not see. He had seconds to decide.

This airship was gone, and a new one could not be prepared if they fought here. So he took it outside.

Jumping off the docks, he projected green circles out of the hangar, and further towards the outer wall of the castle on the side of the river. By now the arches were empties, and the battle to the hillside had eerily stilled. There should have been more of a fight.

Where were Manaria's troops? Had they backed out at the last minute?

Where were his attackers anyway?

Jeanne didn't fly out of the hangar. She came from behind. He turned, catching her spear on his blade and redirecting it. He grabbed her wing, got kicked in the chest and had to let go. A scorching hot flare cut his arm, which eroded below the armor just to stay strong a little longer.

Something wrapped around his boot and janked to the floor. He caught himself on his arms, and rolled before Jeanne's spear bore down, dodged the black serpent. His cloak got caught, so he ripped it off.

Jeanne kicked him to the edge of the wall. He slid off, and boosted himself into the top arch way. The walls would provide some cover, but with the lights out, he didn't see Azazel until he the sword was in his face. Black blood lost, he moved back a little too late. A deep gash covered his

So close, but this time he'd die if he reached out. Jeanne swooped close, no time. He hurled a green sphere. Azazel teleported away just before it hit him, and Jeanne sliced the one he threw next.

He lost the light next as someone threw a smoke bomb. The shields did nothing against it.

The beat of leather wings rushed somewhere beyond, barely audible over the noise until the dark sparkings shot at him. Those he could block.

What got through was familiar sharp sting shot into his neck, right in the smallest crevice.

Chris pulled back a simple dart, devoid of magic.

His enhanced body fought off the poison, but that pulled out more force from his bracelet. His surrounding skin seemed to shrivel and soak as it pulled closer.

Out of the smoke, black wings beat. Azazel's white face was before him, the sword ahead. He caught the blade on his gauntlet.

Wild eyes met his for a second, before serpents wrapped all around and threw him at Jeanne.

Her golden spear flashed in the sunlight, blinding him but never striking. The hilt just barely blocked an attack from behind; Merlin'staff.

Falling, he converged his power into a disc. The impact was harsh, but he lived. The poison wouldn't let him for long unless he got himself rest; if not the zommorod would finish him.

Above, Merlin and the undead occupied his assailants. Jeanne kept trying to dive at him while Azazel tried and failed to occupy Merlin. Jeanne got pulled back twice, before Chris had enough power for another cirle.

He jumped further down to make himself scarce, disgraceful as it was to back down. The nearest window of the castle was his refuge, from hence he fled into the concealed servant corridors.

Nina hadn't been around. Perhaps she was dead already, and he shouldn't feel bad about that, or good. She shouldn't matter.

If she had to die, then he wished she had died earlier.

· · · · · · ·

With all her weight crashing from high, her body broke. Reflexive transformation forced her back into human form.

"Ladis, wait ..."

"We tried _so hard_ to separate from hell and then you fight the best king that happened to humankind! While conspiring with the legions of hell! You'd take us back into the abyss that we fought to redeem ourselves from! He might have assumed we are the same threat as other hellspawn, but ironically you really changed his mind. How can you defy him?"

Her vision blurred, and sound came only distantly. Still she heard Ladis go on, "You looked so smug, promising everyone Jeanne d'Arc would make things better."

Nausea set in, but she had to keep bracing. As long as her head was whole ...

"But really, you'd take everyone down with him too."

"Chris is the one doing that!" The was supposed to be fierce, but it came out as a sputter.

"You could have been the crown of our redemption." The sound came from all around and nowhere.. "You could have saved people by convincing them to submit to the throne."

Could she ... ?

Someone's paw stepped on her, claws digging in her shoulders. The weight was too much, she lost her mind to her dragon again.

When she came back to herself, she was in another part of the dungeons altogether. Another hall, broken walls, herself tossed haphazardly on some weird bench.

She caught her breath, but her vision remain blurry and sound drifted in and out.

"Stop ..."

"I'll stop when you're finally dead," he said. "What's the trick to killing you?"

· · · · · · ·

" _Where is he_?"

"Azazel, focus!" Jeanne called. "If we take care of her ... "

They could bring in Mugaro and nothing Charioce did would matter.

Merlin cast a path of solid circles for herself to run across, a trick familiar to Jeanne. No ordinary human, it allowed her to have more space, and running faster. Herself being the caster, the circles vanished once she'd used them.

The largest undead dragon circled her, now joined by the reanimated corpses that died earlier. Azazel went for the main one; this time he wouldn't let Sofiel's trick mess it up. Dead perhaps, but he could still shred it. He fell right intso its jaws, through the fire, into its stomach, where he exploded into a swarm of nothing but black serpents. Bones, and rotten flesh flew apart. It wasn't enough to destroy it entirely, but he didn't want to. It was only the fire that had to be disabled. Slipping out between the ribs, he sliced off a wing and sent it down, then severed the head.

It collapsed into the castle, still spewing blue fire up at them. Dammit, the zombie magic kept that alive too.

With Charioce gone, Jeanne didn't have to cover for him, but she now had airborne dragons to deal with. One she exploded as it was over the arches, but she refused to do so if there was a risk the corpse would fall in the castle. Merlin noticed this and directed the dragons closer to it. They got in his way too. The fire might not harm him much, but it did hurt, and he had to get into the ribcage to shred them.

Something crawled across a nearby roof. Rita?

Frantic, she waved at Azazel, but kept quiet. Then she ran off.

Merlin hadn't noticed her yet, facing the other direction as Jeanne circled her.

Azazel rejoined the battle and forced Merlin to move back by teleporting closer. Teleportation didn't work too close to the dragons, but she also noticed he wasn't running out of energy. He moved closer while Jeanne forced her to use the dragons for blocking, until they were behind the castle.

The blue fire didn't reach anymore. He could deal with the dragons, but that left Jeanne to intercept Merlin's attacks on him. He left the impulse to fight her head on, taking care of the dragons first. A few broken wings did it.

Jeanne and him locked eyes; he swooping aside so her eyes crossed Rita. Right away, Jeanne understood and went for a frontal charge, her fiercest attacking rushing in and herself behind, forcing Merlin to jump back on her circles a few times.

As Jeanne's second blast shredded a dragon wing, Azazel teleported right behind Merlin. He sliced Merlin's hand off and kicked her back.

Rita's launched arm grabbed the staff, quick to return to Rita.

As Merlin was distracted with the pain, Azazel and Jeanne placed themselves between her and Rita. Red light shone behind them, at its behest the zombie dragons turned against the armies of Charioce.

Merlin could only watched from her position as fire burned through the last of Charioce's armies, while the mecha made short work of every Onyx Knight in sight.

He'd seen Merlin desperate long ago, this wasn't close to her edge yet. Rather that despair, her hatred pulled her together. She had centuries worth of that for him, nothing he could blame her for. But he would blame her for protecting Charioce. If not for Jeanne he would have gone for the kill, but he'd made a promise. Merlin was mostly human right now, one of her tribe.

"It is over. Surrender and we will find a better way than what fate offers," Jeanne called to Merlin.

"There is no better. I have tried and found no more justice or salvation without it."

"Can you truly call fate the same as justice if it must sacrifice so much?" Jeanne asked.

Merlin lowered her staff. "I have not known for a long time," she said. "Regardless, I cannot afford to concern myself thus when Bahamut exists. Fate is all that protects us."

"If fate relies only on facets of this world then we should have enough. All we need is the knowledge fate withholds from us, and we may have that way through Amira and others."

Merlin _wavered_ , to Azazel's surprise. He had never understood what had made Merlin betray fate and pact with him, but if it led to the same as last time ...

Merlin only opened a gate and let herself drop through. There was no further attack.

... of course not. Merlin wouldn't forgive him.

Disappointed, Jeanne turned to him.

"Why'd you even think talking to her would work?"

"I believe lord Michael inspired me to. He may have noticed something we are unaware of. But I disgress, we have more immediate concerns."

He took in his surrounding for the first time since laying eyes on Charioce.

Banner on the castle had been replaced. The sound of fighting was gone, and the automatons had all fallen still.

"Azazel, please gather the demons in the castle and bring them to the underground city. I must meet with the human generals and organize, so Charioce cannot escape."

He nodded, but it didn't mean yes. Belphegor could handle that. He was going to drag Cerberus here to trace Charioce, and Nina.

· · · · · · ·

Staff at hand and safely in an isolated hall, Rita inspected the loyalty of her new little army : Teutoiskasians, Valerians, Manarians. All the same drab humans. She did spot a few dragon corpses in the hills, but sorcerers were already burning them; ironically a health rule Rita herself had dictated in her guild days.

She found someone else though; Rocky heeded her call. That meant Kaisar came barrelling into her courtyard drawn along by Rocky.

Right as he stopped, Rita kicked him. "And where exactly have you been?"

"Rita? This is how you say hello?"

"We are in the middle of overthrowing the kingdom and I didn't see you once! I had to climb a castle to get my staff! You can live without hello, brat." She kicked him again, harder this time. "Get moving, you ungrateful child. I didn't cart you around the world ten years ago just to be left hanging now."

"But Rita, this is a delicate situation."

"You don't say. Now let me see Rocky."

He struggled to remove the black armor.

Rocky was all gray and withered. No good, she had to fix this somehow.

"We need to get you to ... my office. Now."

Before she could react, Kaisar had had chopped Rocky off with a wrist blade, almost clean across the old line. Thick black blood still strung them together, and Rocky started twitching.

"I'm sorry," he said through gritted teeth. "I have to be here. Take Rocky."

"I can't believe you!" Rita had bandages in her back, having expected trouble, but not this! Did she even have enough? Rocky should go back on.

Though, she needed to know what was up with that zommorod, it'd be easier of Kaisar wasn't attached. If something went wrong, she didn't want them both to be destroyed.

Careful, she cut the thickening blood — or were those veins? — between them, and tied them up as best as she could. The infection didn't go away from Kaisar, but with all that armor shouldn't see whether it had gotten worse.

"Once you're done messing around with Jeanne and the rest of these bozos, come see me."

Tense, he nodded. "Thank you, Rita."

Rita returned to organizing her zombies alone, worrying whether it meant something that he didn't say _till later,_ as he usually would have done whenever they ran into each other before meetings.

· · · · · · ·

Jeanne met with the generals of Valeria, who had gathered at a segment of the castle occupied by the king of Manaria. Mid battle, he had called back his troops into a defensive position and declared neutrality. The reasons were a complete mystery, but meetings were scheduled to find out why. In the meantime, rumors about the strange Lidfard girl swirled around.

Altogether, the invasion could have had a higher toll, the only true threat having been Charioce. That left a dangerous little thought playing through hermind : if her child had been here, it would've been even easier. Merlin was skilled, but invincible.

She put those thoughts aside, and focused on the kingdom.

· · · · · · ·

Cerberus declared that like with Amira before, someone had cut off physical trace; blame easily set to Merlin. That left Nina to be found, which Favaro handled. Azazel followed him below ground, straight through the dungeons. The scent of old and fresh demon blood met him, but other than a few corpses it was empty.

The green field was off. His strength was his own to use. The walls crumbled when he hit them, the doors ripped off their hinges easily. Even as the fight had drained him and the string of Charioce's attack were fresh, he wasn't _weak_. There was no reason to feel dread as he set foot in here. He'd owned a torture dungeon once, this one was so feeble in comparison. Nothing here could touch him anymore.

Parts of the floor had collapsed at random intervals, strained with more blood than one small body could hold. Favaro grew more anxious at these, but all the turns he kept taking only led to the conclusion Nina had been here multiple times. So had others. It wasn't till he caught sound they had a clear path.

They first came across a man walking down a corridor, only to skit to a halt when he saw them.

"He's here! Get out!" Right away, he shifted into dragon form and launched up through the ceiling. Azazel ignored him for now and followed Favaro.

When they found Nina, she was alone. One of the bigger halls, now entirely trashed. Tools thrown to the side, she herself a small glow in a corner. Halfway between dragon and girl, she went both ways and neither. Azazel tried to take her shoulder to help her up, but her form twisted and she rolled over. Just barely he caught one of her wings, or she would have thrown herself across the place.

"Nina!"

Her eyes, one too large, tried to focus and found nothing. "Aza—argh!"

She toppled over, her form twisting and retreating unnaturally.

What was he supposed to do? Was there anything he even _could_ do? Would guiding away the magic help at all, or leave her stuck in this state? Not that he knew how to do that.

She curled up, breathing heavy, blood coming scatches from her own and Azazel's claws. Her arms twisted at an odd angle to embrace herself, one wing was so large it reached the nearby wall, the other twitching over her. Azazel tried to keep his hand on her shoulder, but at the next spasm his claws cut again. Folding his hands left him unable to hold at all, so he brought out his wings; the scales on it were blunt, so he only had to keep the spike away.

A rustling noise, then Favaro knelt down at Nina to cover her with a cloak. "Nina, can you hear us?"

"They got me ... I lost ... control ... "

Favaro helped her sit up, but when her wing bulged out he was thrown off.

"I'm getting Jeanne," Favaro ran off.

Nine clutched at herself, eyes still staring wide at nothing. "Is he ..."

There was only one she could mean. "He got away."

"A-and Jeanne?"

"Alright, and she'll be here soon."

Nina relaxed a little, but the twisting transformation didn't cease.

When Jeanne landed at last, it already felt long, but it probably wasn't. She had Urlain's sash and worry rather than shock on her face, Michael might've tipped her off enough.

"Nina! What happened?" she asked as she pulled her closer.

"They caught me ..." she said through a feeble grin. "I think fate's angry at me."

Azazel looked away, but kept his wings up while Jeanne worked. Under her guiding power, Nina's steadied a little. As she grew smaller, Jeanne wrapped the sash around Nina, steadying Favaro's cloak.

When Jeanne helped her site, Nina muttered, "Every time I get a plan, I end up hurting me or others." She sounded hollow.

"Nina, we _won_. The moment that field went down, the gods made their move. The Orleans demons helped us from the inside. There was a coup, but no warzone beyond the castle," Jeanne whispered.

"What? Am I supposed to ... I don't ..." She almost shrunk into herself. "I'm sorry. I let him get away again ... and ... "

Her form twisted again, and Jeanne renewed her focus. "I have to bring her to El Mugaro."

Azazel nodded, reconsidered on saying anything to Nina — like he had anything — and told Jeanne, "I'll deal with whomever attacked her."

Jeanne lifted Nina. Once she was gone, Azazel asked Favaro, "Did you smell anything about who attacked her?"

"Plenty," Favaro said. "That'a way. You have fun, I've got some other stuff to handle," Favaro said. "Try to keep the noise down though. The goody two shoes might hear, and make it quick, or Merlin summons them away. They're all dragons."

Really now?

"I have a better idea : we own the area. Find Malphas."

· · · · · · ·

Belphegor had sought out one of the remaining arches in the outer wall, high up and away from the humans. When Durahanem arrived with the last of the demons at arms, she should have given a welcoming speech, but she wasn't done tying her wounds yet. Charioce's attack had melted some of her flesh, the pain substantial. Little Mugaro could heal it, but it wasn't bad enough that she'd run off.

Rachel stepped up, more confident in bossing people around and less exhausted.

"Alright, listen up. I'm the captain of the Smaragd Guard, we work for that lady. You could work for her too, which I recommend since your other option is the humans who took over. They haven't outlawed slavery, and all that."

Probably needed a few softer words though. Belphegor stepped ahead to say, "You will be welcome to stay as long as you need. We are allied to Jeanne d'Arc, who is true to the rumors you may have heard. Under her protection, we will be moving back to the slums in peace. There is another court master there, you may choose her to. This is the end of your slavery."

The group muttered in confusion, at which Rachel quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I'm breaking a lot of protocols here," Belphegor said with a shrug. "I haven't learned most."

Favaro popped up right then.

"Any of you seen Malphas? We found Nina, she's a mess, and so is the underground of the castle."

Belphegor shook a doubting no. "A lot of the Onyx Knights got away, but most of the armies surrended at various stages. Rita ended it. It's ... jarring. They overthrew hell, and we overthrew them with a few humans and three pact mates."

Favaro rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah ... what's going on over there?"

He pointed down below, where the surviving dragons spoke with some fancy court girl and a number of politicians. A representative of Valeria arrived through a gate of Sofiel, a quick truce to be negociated? She explained as such to Favaro.

"Oh man. This is gonna be a mess."

With those cryptic words, Favaro moved on, and Belphegor couldn't afford to fret right now. Though she could guess Azazel might have asked for Malphas, and what for.

· · · · · · ·

Sofiel's gate unfolded in the small church. Jeanne was down the stairway to the underground patient's ward in a second. Nina still writhed in her arms, she laid her on one of the many empty beds. As expected, El soon appeared. The smile wore vanished quickly in exchange for the blue light.

"What did this to her?" ne asked.

"Azazel found her like this, we don't know," Jeanne said. "Do you?"

"It's a little like with Odin, her shifter magic is all weird, but I can't see any damage from Dromos."

Nina lashed a growing arm at nothing, Jeanne pushed it down. El laid nur small hands on the scales, helping to channel away the errant power.

"You're tired, mother, Sofiel. I'll take over, you please go back to the castle."

Nur looked so sure, Jeanne shut down the desire to object.

"Do you best," Jeanne brushed a hand over nur hair before swiftly turning to Sofiel's gate. The notion her child had been forced to grow up even when away from heaven, that she kept to herself. Perhaps not a child soldier, but ne was still a child doctor. The responsibility for life and death had only shifted. It left her bitter, but she had a duty to fullfill before she could worry for that.

"Ne will be fine," Sofiel said. "Don't see a human child, see a god finding one's purpose."

"I know," she said, and almost didn't say, "But I don't know how to help nur along with this."

· · · · · · ·

Malphas rather liked this project. They sealed all of the underground, the dungeons, the field generator, the torture halls. While Mimi tracked down the dragons, Azazel found the goat used for experiments; the other had been released from the training den by Rita and was on its way. Malphas knew to let it in.

In the flesh, the beast was pathetic, but only due to the zommorods. He tore off the shackles and belts, allowing it to regenerate lost wings. Once within range of his serpents, it moved as his own beasts, no need for conscious command. As one, they walked out.

They remembered their time here, these memories his own now. This, the first true speck of freedom, save the meeting with Nina.

On the way to the center, he met Mimi dragging an unconscious body. She said the surviving dragons up there were defecting. Azazel would rather kill them, they weren't trustworthy, but Jeanne couldn't use a display of hostility against "allies".

Those who had gone after Nina would be enough. Just four of them, but they regenerated.

Malphas stood guard at what had once been the generator of the Dromos field, now reconstructed as a prison. Metal and earth alike holed up dragons to keep them from shifting, but not well enough. Two were loose, a third in small form being dug out. Of course, Nina had been able to launch herself once hundreds of meters up a hill. Creating a prison for them would be very difficult, but fortunately not part of any plan.

He slammed the door, drawing their attention.

"I don't care for your tribe ditching hell, but now you've waged war on us?" he drawled. "You're not getting away with that."

The one still in human form crawled out of his hole and dared to stand tall and defiant. ,"It's your kind that shouldn't get away with all hell has wrecked on the world!"

With that he turned into a purple dragon.

Oh, he knew both of those faces.

"You were at Nina's home," he said. "And you protected Charioce during the first rebellion, didn't you?"

If he had killed Charioce that day, it might not have set free all demons across the continent, but they could have liberated the city. They would have found Jeanne, they would have ... none of that matter anymore, save that this one was a liability.

This one he wouldn't be sharing. In fact, he wanted some time alone.

He snapped his fingers. "Cerberus, can you hear me? You're _invited_."

Her magic worked as he guessed it would. Cerberus squealed when she teleported in, almost sickeningly cute as she laced her fingers together. "That's so nice of you, it's about time you gave me a little gift. What is it?"

"You wanted Rita to make us an army, didn't you?" He gestured at their prisoners. "There's not much, but they _regenerate,_ and don't dissolve upon death."

"Ooooh it's been such a long time we got to torture, right, Mimi? I wish Coco could be around."

"We should save him some meat!"

"Yes, we should. We're taking a lot of meat, aren't we?"

He grinned. "Keep the limbs whole. Those will be our soldiers. You take those other three."

Grinning wide, Cerberus summoned most of her girls. They pounced on the dragons, magic alight, ignoring the ring leader.

The chase didn't matter, he just wanted his prey away from the main scene, so he told Ladis, "Run."

He broke through a wall, broke its own bones doing so, shifted and fled as a human.

The stones groaned under the weight of the ruins above, but would not yield. Malphas's constructive magic was stronger than ever, now she indulged in it, and dungeons were right up her alley.

They weren't up Azazel's alley anymore, he realized. This place still lay fresh on his mind, all their creative torture etched in wounds he could no longer see.

It shouldn't matter. His time here had been but a fraction of his long life. Fear was ridiculous to feel, really. Nothing here could hold him anymore. Nina had destroyed the core, and the king didn't rule anymore. It was only that Charioce wasn't dead yet, that was all.

The goat followed him, clattering its teeth more and more.

Ladis knew the way around only a little, turning a wrong corner twice; Malphas had twisted the place a lot. Maybe he wasn't looking for an exit, but a place to transform instead. He got a level or two up, into the remnants of the dungeons.

Kicking off a wall just as Ladis rounded the corner, Azazel was behind him. Pulling him back in the smaller space, Azazel held him up by the throat. He had strength well beyond a human, but had no mid way shape like Nina. Azazel could match it easily.

He'd been a relative of Nina, of which traces were visible in his face. Most of him was different though. Nina might've pleaded for him the way she'd done for that blond brat, but she wasn't here. He needed the parts, but he also had time.

"Tell me, what do you think Charioce is worth?"

Choking, he sputtered, "Everything. Our redemption from your kind."

"Really? That's hilarious. I wouldn't have spent one thought on you if you'd stayed home. Had I killed Charioce that day, it'd all be over. I'd be in hell, with different rules. See, I'm not bored anymore because there's more in my life. Why waste time killing at my empty whims? The trade off to that is ..."

Azazel dug his claws into Ladis's shoulder, ripping to the bone. He waited for the screaming to fade to a whimper before digging his nails between the joint bones.

"... I have a lot more to avenge, and a much better idea what really makes for a worthless soul. Like you."

He tore the arm off, and let the screaming trash fall to the floor. Azazel kicked him over so he faced up.

"You painted quite a target on yourself."

The others limbs went just as quick. Humans were so vulnrable, it was a surprise they thrived.

His prey turned dragon, and that changed nothing. There was too little room, all he had to do was step back and have the walls collapse. All that thrashing and clawing and useless fire amusing him. Very little competence, it just threw attacks in his general direction. To make things a challenge, he restrained his serpents and went at it only with his sword. Slipping below the neck, he cut into the shoulder, then braced a foot against the body to rip it off. The limb just ended up turn to pieces before he got it loose, helped along by the snapping jaws.

Pathetic, really. One front leg down and it already collapsed, blood pooling quickly.

The dragon transformed back to human form, disoriented more than before. The limbs hadn't been far enough to be lost to the transformation magic, and vanished to a whole humanoid.

Again he ripped off his arms and threw them further away. In the time that took, his prey scrambled away.

He followed at leisure.

Past more than a few rooms he'd spent his time in as a prisoner. Idle, he entered one to prove nothing mattered. He picked up a wire. He let it fall. He let nothing matter.

The goat walked on, pursuing its prey at a faster pace. Herding his prey to a dead end.

He picked up a saw, and deemed it unfit. A wrench, worthless. He could do better.

He found the rack they'd tied him to, and considered using it for his prey. But he could do better than this cheap tool.

He destroyed nothing. Not until he was done, then he would tear it all down at once.

He caught up to his prey scraping by at the very end of a block, tearing at a wall while the goat chewed at the legs. It didn't quite obey precise directions, he'd fix that. Later.

The torn arm was back, so he teleported right on top of his prey tear it off again.

The usual whimpering and begging happened. By chaos, it'd been so long since he'd really gotten to enjoy pleas for mercy. Mostly. With every move he might be like Charioce, and he almost saw himself on the other end.

Still he went on.

"Why do you even bother talking? I am one of the reasons why the word devil means something. I see you for what you are."

The prey transformed halfway, throwing him back. Before the shape was too large, the light receded back to small form. Whole again, save in mind.

It muttered something on how he wasn't worthy to judge, so he lashed the face open.

"It took all of Charioce's atrocities to change that. It wasn't worth the cost," he said. "If I could go back in time and save them all by killing my old self, I would do it."

 _Now_ the prey got it. That exact look of mortal despair when one grasped their slow death.

He willed the other goat to join while tearing loose two more legs. Screams filled the hall again, now audible through three sets of ears. The beasts were more inclined to devour though. Controlling them was difficult still if he didn't want to lose control of his main self — they were simpler minds, easier to get lost into.

The goat here began to understand its master though : the limbs had to stay whole, and be thrown free. Hell's new army.

His left as his other goat arrived, the beasts remained to harvest more of the dragon.

He tore down the ceiling, going up until he found a part of the castle that burned with dragon fire. Here he let the fire sear off the blood, ignoring the pain.

Within it he calmed down, face drawing smooth to show no malice or joy.

That done, he went up.

The invaders had congregated on a wide plain where a king's throne oversaw. Jeanne d'Arc with her radiant wings stood before this throne, neither claiming it, nor letting anyone else do so. A few humans in fancy clothing stood at the bottom of the stairs, obviously eager to do so, but unwilling to pass.

The intensity of Sofiel's pact with Jeanne still gave him pause; not even Michael had gone this far. She stood at the brink of goodhood itself, though her resistance to the zommorods proved her human mortality.

He sat on the wall and drew fear, but none dared to disrupt the atmosphere. Belphegor and Cerberus stood apart from them, halfway up the stairs like the important humans on the other side. Jeanne was in the middle of arranging ground rules, from the sound of it, to Cerberus's irritation and Belphegor's anxiety.

"No, the demons must retreat to their homes in the slums and their underground city, so the houses _that belong to the humans_ can be reclaimed by them," Jeanne said.

"Of course," Belphegor said. "Once we possess the resources we will return to hell, but I ask that we may center the point of return nearby Anatae. We will need some homes for this."

"Have you not been expanding below the city?"

"Those homes have exits in the houses, and we must take in those of the upper city too."

The air grew worse when Jeanne beckoned Azazel to approached. He'd have spurned the gesture if it had been anyone else, but she had his respect so he landed before her.

"Rag demon, I thank you for your help." Jeanne being overly formal now looked strange to him. "Today, and when we escaped Charioce's grip."

She put her right hand on his shoulder, ignoring the stinging looks the gods and humans around gave her. He returned the gesture, mentally scrambled for something dignified to say. Jeanne cut short the need by stepped back and and saying, "I've been told you represent a coalition of local demon tribes. Perhaps you could explain the function of this system of government to those present here?"

He resenting having to educate these measly, but did so anyway in short, curt sentences.

Down below, his prey escaped just long enough to kill himself. There were enough pieces by now to make a sizeable little army in case any of these fools here tried anything.

· · · · · · ·

El Mugaro didn't know what to make of it, the way Nina distorted between shapes. Rather than Odin's ailment, it was alike to when Azazel had broken under nur misplaced healing. A shape that didn't know what to be. Azazel had not been a hybrid though.

"I can't set her back because she's not injured, and I can't see her former imago, it's all her in half injured states and there's so much," El Mugaro said. "Can your mist help call back something?"

"I can't see the illusions of the fog," Rita said. "And neither can you as a holy creature. Get your hallows."

Mugaro retrieved them, before explaining Rita what ne had seen from Azazel and Odin. "I can't tell what's causing Nina to not stick right though."

"She's not regenerative, her transformation just cheats the system. I suspect increased intracranial pressure," Rita said. "And possible psychological issues exasperating it. Keep channeling away her transformation power in any case."

"Uhm, can we perhaps get an update?" Augustin asked. "Do we need all this mist? It's hard to see the patient."

"Imago magic is a register of the shape of things. It is invoked through my mist as it plants illusions in the minds of the affected, but I never explored that part of the black bible much. If I knew what exactly happened when Azazel's goats were born, I wouldn't struggle with this."

At the confusion of the hallows, Mugaro explained what ne could about Azazel's condition with the serpents going out of control, and how it'd started and ended in the arena.

"Imago magic ... does it interact with curse magic? Could she have cursed herself?"

El Mugaro would've said no, but Rita paused.

"If imago and afflictive magic both can be faulty ... perhaps," Rita said.

They worked that angle by taking apart a whole lot of layers, where El Mugaro compared to what others saw, or did not see.

Augustin's idea was something close to the truth. Between transformative magic, its imago source, and the energy from hell's ichor, Nina struggled with her human magic and soul not adjusting well, and her transformation magic technically being bright magic.

They shut down her transformative magic the way one dissolved a blessing, which Augustin knew to do. It stilled the transformation, but she was left malformed to the point of cruelty, and not even conscious. Mugaro let Rita's mist chant settle on a past illusive force. Just a few hours ago. Rather than watch for guidelines, El Mugaro wrapped this up in a blessing and tried to apply it on Nina.

It didn't take. Of course, it was an illusion from Rita, never meant for life. Though maybe ne could cheat the system too.

Anyone could pass on the way a god did, if by El Mugaro's power. Perhaps it was the simplest thing yet, dismissal of a form and the life it held together.

If Nina died ne could just bring her back.

El Mugaro planted a kiss on her head, careful this time not to use nur power to send off, but to keep. She broke apart into golden and pink light, but ne kept her soul close as ne set both blessing and form and soul back in place.

The light turned all pink and pulled together, leaving Nina whole. Asleep, but that wasn't unusual. Rita covered her with a blanket, and was about to address the others when Nina opened her eyes.

"You're awake already?"

Rather than answer, she struggled to set up. El Mugaro took her by the shoulders. "Wait, don't ..."

But she was healthy as she could be, the only reason to stay down her modesty.

Ne still could see the subspace that kept her clothes for her. Someone must've made it, because it existed apart from her natural shape shifting. The delay was likely caused Nina remained in transformation cool down too long, perhaps that also was why she went unconscious during a swift shift back. Mugaro could only speculate, but the subspace timer could be poked at astrally.

With a flash, Nina's clothes reappeared. A fancy blue gown torn only a little, but whole enough to work.

Nina herself wasn't.

"Nina, can you hear me?" Rita asked.

She didn't respond.

Rita tapped on her knee, it jerked.

"I'm here," Nina muttered.

"Anything feel off?" Rita asked.

She sprang into a smile. "Really, I'm okay. You did a great job. I could use some food though."

Nothing was visibly wrong with her in nur blue eye, but the way she moved was mechanic.

"You're still conscious," Rita said. "Any idea why?"

"Exposure," was all Nina said. "I'll be off then!"

El Mugaro had never seen Nina so ... not Nina. Fake.

Ne caught her by the arm.

"Yes?"

She was sick, but ne couldn't see how.

"There's always things adults don't tell me. Why are you pretending?Is it anything you did?"

Her eyes cleared a little, but it wasn't better. "No ... I didn't. They did, and I couldn't do anything about it."

"Mugaro, leave her be," Rita said.

"No, it's okay. I lost family today. Or maybe before."

El Mugaro let go of her arm as that sank in.

"Aren't you sad?" El Mugaro asked.

"I'm ... I just have a little too much to feel sad about lately. I can't keep up."

She would out the door before ne knew what to say.

· · · · · · ·

Favaro spent the late evening catching up with some friends from the knightly order, who had sided with Jeanne or surrendered. Politics were a mess he liked to keep out of, and Charioce sure had some great liquor. Valerian soldiers and even a few from strict old Manaria joined in. Nobody really knew what they were celebrating, because technically Anatae hadn't been overthrown. The big shots were very strict about how politically, they just got rid of a bastard king whose claim to the throne was very shaky anyway; and whose actions had proved his lack of political education since childhood was a reason to depose of him. So this was a coup, not a government overthrown, and the alliance between the countries still stood.

For some it was Jeanne's return, too. For some it was the idea they'd get their honor back. For most, it was an excuse to party. Favaro was a little in the final category, because for all that he made a point of not worrying, Amira hadn't shown her face yet. His now sharp ear had traced and caught word from Charioce's inner circle; that old dragon from the sub dimension had been here.

That didn't stop him from bragging about his fight with Charioce in the slums. He might've embellished a bit, actually. Still, it was a return of the good old days of not being chased by Onyx Knights.

Most Kaisar staggered into the inn near the eleventh hour. Rocky wasn't present, and Favaro struggled through an alcholic haze to ask, "They only managed to arrest you arm, didn't they?"

Kaisar pulled him to a corner of the bar; Favaro noted he wasn't very missed by the crowd. Probably shouldn't have retold the story three times.

"Jeanne vouched for me," Kaisar said after ordering. "I asked her to keep my involvement with the earlier rebellion quiet. I need you to do the same."

"Huh? Wouldn't that be a benefit to you?"

"Of course not. The rag demon's reputation is not at all helpful, and there's already rumors going on that he is Azazel."

"Fine, whatever. I'll protect your honor. But you should know Jeanne's been thinking about knighting Rachel and the rest of the Smaragd Guard into a separate order. You're not getting the old ways back."

Kaisar clenched his one fist. "We must try."

"Yeah, how about I make you a new Rocky first?"

"As quickly as you can," Kaisar said. He didn't order anything, but Favaro lost his train of thought by then.

· · · · · · ·

 **Oktober 4**

· · · · · · ·

In the aftermath of old battles Jeanne had always sent prayers, but what worth was this ritual when her goddess stood at her side on earth? Today, they walked together.

The king of Manaria had reservations, the Essenbecks aspirations, the Valerians indications. Jeanne did not reach for the crown, but would hold the throne for now as a saint's seat. None of these were concerns of her old days, when there was but one lord of earth to to serve, and one in heaven. Still, perhaps they were better than the other concerns.

El Mugaro's music carried on the mist deep into the castle, softly healing whatever wounds the day had brought. Not everyone might make it, but more would than otherwise. The burden of war was lesser, easier, and only bitter for knowing it could have been like this for eons already. Had heaven reached out to earth more. Whatever caused affinity, that Michael would bear a child half human with the power to heal had meaning she could not readily explain to her fellow humans.

The blessing left the vigilance of the night strangely peaceful. She would not likely be called to attend to a dying soldier's last words, or spend the hours in prayers for salvation to lost souls — now she knew gods did not govern the afterlife. The tradition remained, but spared her for the night. She stayed in her room to chase sleep that elluded her.

Her new wings unfolded, she stood at the window to overlook her city. That barrier would be her next concern, and the webs over the city. Peace stood on a knife's edge.

A gate opened to her room.

"Oh, why did I expect anything but you awake. Jeanne, you can sleep." Sofiel's hand softly laid on her shoulder. "They're alright. Your friend's healed, and casualties in the city were all but avoided."

Jeanne laid a hand on Sofiel's, and after a breath's hesitation wove their fingers together. Sofiel leaned in, closing her arms around Jeanne's shoulders. Half behind her, Sofiel's breath was on her hair and wings; the latter a new sensation altogether.

The way Sofiel had sactnified her was but trivial in the grand scheme of this all, and Jeanne was a long way from giving this a place in her world. Women were to marry mortal men and have children, lest they be saints or nuns or spinsters. There was no shape to desiring a goddess, but it had a shape, and gods breathed the way mortals did. She would finds words for it in time, and if she had to give herself so be it. The next question would be whether she could keep this, or whether she even wanted to know if it had more meaning.

"Come now, sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day," Sofiel said. "I'll be with you."

"Thank you, lady Sofiel." The words were paltry.

· · · · · · ·

"What are you paying me?" Rita asked as she followed the bloody trail of limbs.

"You can keep a few of these for yourself," he said. "I just want the rest of to work for my summoning codes."

"Hmm ... throw in a hand of your own and we're set."

Damn her. "You get it after you revived these things."

"And ... how are you going to explains this to our more sensitive friends?"

"What does it matter? If I don't die, I'm going back to hell. They already know what I am anyway."

· · · · · · ·

Nothing.

Nina laid on her back in her wide cave, heart steady. They'd won. It would get better for everyone. It didn't feel like either.

A few people had been by. Rita and Mugaro to check on her condition. Sofiel to tell her Jeanne couldn't come by due to her newfound obligations. Belphegor awkwardly expressed thanks on behalf of everyone, uneasy with her new role. Marcio had shuffled by the door, but left when she didn't respond.

Azazel took a long time. He was probably breaking demons free in the upper ring. She'd join in, but couldn't even muster the will to get up.

By the time he finally arrived her torch had gone out. He was just a silhoutte in the doorway; cloaked up as the rag demon.

"You never had a chance of getting your family to defect, did you?"

He was angry below the calm, she could tell.

"No."

Without a word, Azazel sat somewhere next to her. Waiting for an explanation. How was she to give that? Her choice to stay wasn't premeditated, he knew that ... what else was there to say?

"I didn't get myself to try killing him," she said. "And uh ... I tried to convince him to tell everyone about Bahamut. There was another king, I thought it would be a good chance ... "

She had to pause to think about how to best say this. Charioce's alliance with the dragons wasn't exactly an invitation and her uncle had shown up on his own terms. But there had been an option to join him.

"I saw a hint he was loosening up and maybe I _wanted_ to be the one to change him. He'd let me in. If I follow what fate made me for, his path, he will love me for the last of his days, and they may number yet if I sacrifice myself. I just wanted him to give in a little too."

Azazel sneered. "This is what I mean with how good he is at breaking people. Do you even hear yourself? You cannot win by bowing, Nina. If he gave a shit he'd do anything in his power to let you live."

"He did warn me of the Onyx Knights, and he's trying to change the way the kingdom works so he could pardon me ..."

His wings flared out. "I don't _ever_ want to hear you excuse him to my face!"

"I'm not excusing him!"

"Tch. You really don't hear yourself?"

"I'm just trying explain _myself_. He told them to kill me and at the same time shoved me away and didn't do anything himself to restrain me. That's why I thought I was a little safe." she muttered. "He tried something when he could've just broken up with me without telling me anything. Then Amira gave information about the invasion, and that settled it."

"He passed a death sentence on you either way," Azazel snapped. "So don't come with that bullshit. Whatever he did wasn't because you changed him for the better. Nobody changed me either."

"I know."

"So why don't you understand he's playing with you?!"

"He's not," Nina said. "He takes everything _really_ serious. No, he plays against himself. He chose to destroy his conscience and live a life of ruthlessness, believing that's the best for defeating his enemies. Never faltering that is a challenge to himself, the rest doesn't matter. I don't understand all of his rules though. The first night I was there, he almost tempted me into killing him."

What's that supposed to mean?" which translated to _I don't get why you couldn't want to do that_ and _I wish I'd been in your place_.

Nina could only shrug as answer. "And then I lived in his castle, looking over my shoulder every time, and hoping to see he'd do better. I don't think I'd do it anymore, if he offered to run away together or something, but I was stalling my return. If I didn't get burried, I'd just drown in him, wouldn't I?"

"That's somewhat better than the nonsense you spouted just before."

She really didn't want things to fall silent or him to leave, and there was one more painful topic.

"Do you know what happened to Ladis?"

"Dead ... and ..."

Chasing him during his vigilante days gave her more than enough idea what that meant.

"Not now," she said. "I can't deal with more. Tomorrow?"

He fell silent, but not for long.

"I've seen you burn people, and you don't hesitate as a dragon. What exactly about killing do you hate?"

"Feeling life go away," she said. "And the blood, and the way the dead look ... fire doesn't do that. Fire is clean, it comes from an instinct. I actually considered throwing XVII off a balcony, but backed away. I'm not sure whether it was distaste, to realizing I couldn't succeed. What about you? You faced him too today. Are you okay?"

"It could be better. It could be worse. Jeanne kicked me out of the upper ring, but I'm going back this morning. Unseen."

She wasn't the only one who didn't really want to talk about the king. A distraction was welcome. "When I'm not so tired, I'll go along."

He stood up, gestured at her to follow.

In the light of the torches outside, he showed her a black bounty bracelet.

"As a Watcher, I oversaw was the crafting of weaponry," he said. "Bracelets aren't that far off. Anything you want on it?"

"Huh ... oh, uhm, more ornaments would be nice. And lines. Maybe some flowers?" It sounded ridiculous, but Azazel produced some copper.

Sitting down where they were, he bent it into shape and pushed the results into the black metal. He had some paler metal to coat it with.

Watching him work calmed her a little. Or maybe that was the wrong word, when she'd been too calm before. Maybe it distracted.

From among the chaos, her little conclusion from four days ago sprung to mind. It didn't really matter now she thought about it. He was already so irritated she kept fawning over Charioce, no way she could tell that that crush had never gone away. It was pretty silly to still feel that way, better to set it aside. At least this wasn't liable to get anyone killed or be strategic for better or worse.

The finished product was lovely, she wished she could feel something more than dim joy.

"If we meet any lethal trouble tomorrow, I can handle the killing. You just cast the spell."

"Will that work though? Only a god can fasten these."

That resulted in a short flight out of the caves.

Being picked up wasn't that awkward anymore, so Nina mostly paid attention to the surrounding for once.

The mist covered the slums so densely, only the barest suggestion of moon was above. Within seconds they were over it, where Azazel hovered to look around.

The barrier still remained, but beyond the it the scene had changed. Banners had been raised; a few houses near the castle collapsed, and the castle itself was full of holes. Part of it had burned. Nina hoped Anne and the demons were alright. She hadn't seen Azazel's goats either.

Azazel spotted what he was looking for and dove down to the mist again.

There was small celebration on the ruins of the amphitheater, including a familar white spot. They landed at the edge of the feast, behind the ruins.

On a table, a duck without his crown sat, drinking more modestly than she knew of him.

"Hey, Hamsa! You're back?" Nina called.

Hamsa flew over into their shadowy corner.

"Hello, Nina," Hamsa said. "It's been tolerable once we were released. Bacchus is pretending to work with Odin while we stave off a impending civil war in heaven, but I don't have anything to do. I might as well come here and see how all's going."

Nina cringed. "Sorry for the civil war."

Hamsa waved it off, but it felt like he didn't want to worry her. Like her mother had, so often.

"Can you grant me a real bounty hunter bracelet?" she asked.

"I don't have any—" Azazel held out his construct, and a glowing rock. "That'll do."

The way Hamsa could bend his feathers as if they were hands was the most tell tale sign of being a reincarnated god, moreso than the voice. It still took him a few tries though. Once the bracelet closed around her wrist, he took the rock.

"Now, you can't just go up and cast the spell," Hamsa said. "A target's soul has to be detached from their mortal anchor enough. You'll have to inflict some kind of lethal damage."

"I'll can't do that _yet_ ," she said, holding up her wrist. The bracelet glinted in the light, but was bereft of the joy she'd once felt for it. This was real, and it was no adventure. "I have to change that, and it'll be the one place where my resistance means the most. I know better than ever the ways _he_ is dangerous and yet loves me. This time it will count."

"Alright then." Hamsa clicked the rock in place. "You can set it in stealth mode by tapping the stone thrice with your ring finger."

Nina did so. She was only going after one bounty, and it wasno demon.

"Can I have his bounty paper?"

The paper printed depicted him in his usual fur coated outfit. She didn't look at it to memorize, but to forget. If that didn't work, to shove him to the back of her mind.

"Even after all this, you're still going after him." Azazel said. It wasn't a question,

"Nothing changed," Nina said. "He still gives me leeway. Maybe not in all the ways I hoped, but I can make count what I have."

"It doesn't have to be you," Azazel said. "Jeanne's got the best chance right now."

"And I'll let her do it if it turns out to be that way, but I have to be prepared to do it myself."

"Alright. Make sure you have back up this time."

A real smile pulled at her lips, if weak. "I'd love that, but I better not make promises."

· · · · · · ·

He might as well have lost, because Nina really had been his weakness.

To render his wishes and selfishness nothing, his individuality the sacrifice so humankind might inherit domination of the earth. Gods, demons and Bahamut were only obstacles, all of which he could face without tremor or hesitation.

Yet she ...

If only he had never met her. He'd known she made him weak the moment his conscience stung, that useless thing that compelled one to foresake reason for paltry interest.

Her incessant questions that always failed to understand the nature of the world, why did he even bother trying to talk with her? He should have stuck with his early resolve to never answer that naive girl. It would've been better if he'd just broken her heart and let her run to some other life, or her death if it had to be.

If not for her, he wouldn't falter on his difficult path. Fate had determined her for him, Merlin said, but he did not need her. He would die battling Bahamut, a worthy cause.

If only he had never met her, she could not have done this to him. To fall in her arms to his demise, his will to barely prevail.

If not for her, he wouldn't be stuffed in Kaisar's attic.

· · · · · · ·


	21. Perdition

· · · · · · ·

 **October** **4**

· · · · · · ·

"She caused our armored slaves to rebel, she ruined our alliance with Manaria and destroyed the protective field of our castle. Your majesty, we have been loyal to you for ten years without question, but now we must. Our entire world is at risk because of your ... _your dragon kink_."

While fleeing the castle George clearly had forgotten to snatch his manners along. This was no way to greet one's king fresh in the morning, after he woke up from a poison induced slumber — where _did_ those darts keep coming from?

He'd had this conversation with Chabrol last night already, albeit styled differently. _You could have easily subdued her yourself._ Chabrol had wanted to know how many dates they'd been on. Four. _That was it_ , the old man had exclaimed, _the entire kingdom collapsed over four dates with a pretty girl_. _The witch truly has seduced you._

Glaring had dissolved that conversation, and so it did this time.

On his own for the first time in seven years, Chris started putting the piece of his armor on; most hadn't been shed so it didn't take long.

The attic was stuffed with regained heirlooms that Kaisar had hunted down over the years, including a bed and enough chairs so not everyone slept on the ground. Most was covered with sheets, which had been turned into makeshift blankets for anyone out of armor. Namely Chabrol and Merlin, who slept like normal humans did.

Kaisar had found Chris first, guiding away searchers. Merlin had gateway'd him to Kaisar's home in lack of a safer place, and brought in George and Chabrol later. After that, she'd fetched about five more Onyx Knights, the rest had been arrested and imprisoned by the gods, or killed.

They fit poorly into the attic, the nine of them. At least, compared to what he was used to. He'd lived in small quarters in his early life, it wasn't a problem.

But Merlin _paced_ last night, and picked it up upon waking. Nerve wracking, that woman. She hadn't addressed him at all. How long until her doubts would add up?

He needed her and her gates now that Nina had complicated everything. If he didn't need something big to draw Bahamut to Anatae, he would simply have her gateway them to Eibos, but no. Bahamut never chased small figures, it only rained destruction in general. To be honest, he didn't even know whether it would follow a fleet, but it was his best gamble.

Now that his plans to tweak his kingdom a little more before his heroic death were moot, there was only Bahamut's release left. He'd put all his resources there, it just needed some planning. Their latest resource just came up the stairs.

After knocking, Kaisar stepped in with a plate of food, took in all the new faces, and said, "I'll be right back. I've sent Felicia off to the slums for charity so it may take a while," he said. "However, she will return here eventually and I urge you to be as quiet as possible."

"Your housekeeper is not loyal enough to keep her tongue?" George asked. "Why would she go to the slums anyway?"

"She adopted a demon," Kaisar said. "She might be sympathetic to the crown."

"And her father is involved with the Sacred Circle," Chris said. "We will keep quiet. After all, our host must make room for his _other_ allies."

When Kaisar left, all faces in the room turned to Chris.

"Kaisar Lidfard has a tunnel to the slums in his basement, it is how I escaped the barrier before," he said, because what else was there to lose?

After a long pause, George said, "I cannot help but wonder whether you actually want us to kill that girl."

"Does it matter? My orders are clear. Though you should not prioritize it over our escape from the city. Don't run off to do it if you have to protect me, we no longer have the upper hand."

"Indeed we do not, and you know why that is. Tell us, would you do it yourself if you could?"

"Yes."

No. Unfortunately.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Someone had left some inconspicuous clothes at the entrance of her cave, and breakfast, which was half eaten by one of Azazel's goats.

"Good morning ... uhm, Azazel?"

The goat tilted his head and ran off. Nina followed across a lot of corners, turned back a few times, and after crossing the same place had to conclude it was some kind of joke.

She found Azazel at the crossroad near her cave, tapping his heel against a wall in impatience.

"Why'd you lead me all over the place?" she said before he got a word in, waving at the goat.

"I didn't." He closed his eyes. "Mugaro figured out the channeling trick that kicks off the link. I still can't do it remotely without focus."

Azazel manifested a snake that reached out sixty meters away or so, before it faded. That was the range, she guessed.

So they were just very cranky animals. "So how are you gonna train them?"

He gave her confused look that snapped to understanding. "Right. I'll keep them close till then. Come on."

They had the cover of the night. Azazel knew a slaughterhouse employing slavery not too far away; he typically didn't target those since they didn't outright kill demons and they always cropped back up. Now though, he suspected they might clean up witnesses of mistreatment.

He was right, judging from the screams. He teleported them all inside, where they found a large factory hall full with meat and corpses. _Cleaning up_ meant disguising malnourished slaves as meat remnants. Bile rose in Nina's mouth, but she still whipped out at the nearest human, knocking a knife out of his hands.

Azazel threw a knife in the nearest human's skull and snatched the next human to slice their throat.

"Azazel, wait! We have to keep them alive. They can be arrested now, there's no point in kill them anymore."

He hesitated for an uncomfortably long time, before throwing the man against a wall.

"I'll talk to the knights, okay? Just stay around for a bit and be seen," Nina said as she looked for something to tie them up with.

Azazel grumbled, but agreed to stay inside.

When Charioce ran the kingdom, knights constantly showed up at the smallest sound of discord. Not today. After a long time, a handful of Manarian soldiers appeared to check things out.

Jumping off her perch on a barrel, she said as brightly as she could manage, "Hello! Everything's under control, don't worry. We just had to free some people whose masters refused to let them go. They were going to murder them, but we caught them and they're ready for arrest."

This was met with a lot of sour faces and the leader saying, "We've been sent to check out a disturbance."

"Guilty as charged, but only to stop a worse disturbance. You can arrest them, right?"

"We shall alert the jurisdiction," the leader said coldly. "You should leave."

They and a few others stayed, while the rest returned to the castle.

Nina was about to follow them inside when one of the departing knights said, "Isn't that Charioce's whore?"

When she whipped her head back they'd already hurried into formation, backs towards her.

Civilians stared at her. Some might have whispered of the red dragon. Threat to the king. Rebel. More than a few of the crowd still admired him despite the war.

 _Had she murdered the king_ , someone wondered.

Nina closed her arms across herself. Fingers crossed the bounty hunter's bracelet, closed around it.

She was magenta. She had picked Chris, not Charioce. XVII. She hadn't chosen him, but she had. Fate was cruel, and she could not murder him no matter how much she tried.

A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of it.

"Let's go. We're not done yet."

Oh they weren't. They wouldn't be done until XVII was dead, and Bahamut with him.

· · · · · · ·

"You can't just have that beast in here!" Arduino sputtered to Jeanne.

The unicorn just swished vun tail and cantered further into the castle, undisturbed by human complaints. Curiosity drove Jeanne along.

They reached the quarters of the Onyx Knights. Seven years ago, Jeanne had not been permitted to go around here.

The unicorn pushed past doors into a sickbay full of blackened people, attended to by a swarm of nurses. Their state was utterly abysmal, black veins covering them. Some threw up black bile. What little relief they got was in the form of cold compresses and it appeared to aid little. Only the zommorods embedded in their chest were truly clean.

Jeanne had had an inkling of the parasitic powers of the zommorods, but like this it appeared more like infection.

The unicorn's presence raised concerns about health hazards, while those men still aware enough looked up expecting execution. One murmured something about having served Charioce with pride.

Jeanne was torn between her hatred for these men who had hunted her and her child down and had plunged two realms into disarray, and their misery. The unicorn pushed her to one side, seeing only what had to be healed.

A strange calm fell over all but the infected as the unicorn stepped forward. Vun horn glowed green before ve tapped the nearest zommorod with it. The barely conscious man's breathing steadied, but others became suspicious. One tried to stand, cursing at divinity. Jeanne manifested her spear, and he shut up.

The unicorn seemed intent on healing them, and all justice considered, there was no point to suffer if they did not have to. The unicorn left a strong impression the gems were not to be removed lest they die, but some things could be improved.

She wasn't about to bring her child in here to help, but two years on that infernal island had left her with some useful knowledge. The energe of this power rooted inward. Barely had she decided this, or the unicorn moved on. She set two fingers on the now dim zommorod, and look the man right in the eyes.

"Listen to be closely. I will try teaching you a way to redirect force away from yourself. It may help stave off the festering once my friend here has moved on."

It took Jeanne half an hour to have them catch holds of the barest trick; none of them had been chosen for magical potential, though some were more adept. Others refused to heed her. She bit through the exercise and left when the unicorn did.

Arduino had hovered the entire; she suspected he might anticipate the king's return and hope she didn't dissolve his knights entirely.

"Once they are healed, I want them arrested for war crimes," Jeanne told Arduino with a pointed glare. Had she had the option, he'd be on trial too.

"My unicorn will be left in peace and you will accompany me to the king's office. I have a meeting with the king of Manaria and a representative of Valeria in an hour, I need as much information o the city's status as possible. I've missed a great deal in the past seven years."

The way man said yes gave told her it wouldn't be quick.

Well, she had another quick matter to fill time with. Yesterday, Azazel had started breaking out slaves and caused a ruckus, at break of dawn Nina had joined him. And gotten too little sleep, no doubt. Not that Jeanne was different.

She requested Sofiel to retrieve them by gateway, right into her new headquarters. When she arrived there, Sofiel pressed her hand on Jeanne shoulder; she'd be nearby.

This was Charioce's former office. Now she looked at it, it might not have been the best place to invite Nina and Azazel.

Nina stood by as if in a daze, stern yet inattentive. Jeanne had never seen her like this before, and it deeply disturbed her.

Azazel looked like he craved murder, which wasn't that new, but she'd never seen him look like without any of his targets present.

What had happened to her yesterday and before? She wanted find out, but there were more pressing matters.

She took one of the chairs on their side of the office and gestured for them to sit; Nina did, Azazel just kept leaning against his wall.

"Azazel, you've resumed your vigilante ways. I would appreciate it if you didn't break the laws in this sensitive time."

"I _am_ following your damn laws," he said, thumbing at Nina and ... was that a bounty hunter's bracelet?

True, it was legal for bounty hunter to go around, and heaven's system would probably register the criminals now that Sofiel had changed things. But nobody on earth knew that and the laws about how much outside help a bounty hunter could recruit were vague at best. Far closer to heart of the population was the bloody reputation of the rag demon.

"Could you perhaps send someone else to do it? It would help the cause much more if you're intimidating in a political room rather than some phantom they fear they cannot negotiate with. The traders and aristocrats you used to kill are of the same class you now need to get along with."

He glared, but did say, "Cerberus's inner circle might do it."

From what little Jeanne recalled, Cerberus was surrounded by a group of lovely and harmless looking young women. Though, they might just as well be seen as deceptive succubi. Still better than Azazel's bloody reputation though.

"Please do. Now, Nina, the king of Manaria has a lot of details about the rebellions. You took a huge risk telling Anne about it," Jeanne said.

Nina didn't look up. Her hands clamped into her trousers. Jeanne would've liked to drop the formalities right, but no. She had to remain strong.

"Azazel, that barrier must go down and those webs are to be removed from the city. Regardless of whether inhabitants can flee the fire, it remains a threat. Whom is its creator allied to?"

"Cerberus has Arachna, the web's creator. She'll take it down once it's safe. The barrier isn't under our control, we don't even know where Angra Mainyu is."

Hmm. The unknown entity that had been so crucial in taking over the city. Nina, Azazel, Belphegor, and presumably Olivia had met her, but her motivations remained a mystery.

So did the barrier. Why create a threat like the webs if they had that barrier to lock out invaders? Granted, it was apparently possible to tunnel below the barrier, but that raised the question why such a powerful being couldn't account for it. It employed human sourced magic, yet couldn't ensure a new hole was included? There hadn't been any resistance when she had conducted the context force away either. What kind of maintenance was this?

"Are we done here?" Azazel said.

"Yes, you can go." Jeanne nodded at Sofiel to open a gate for them, while Azazel looked none too pleased to be dismissed like a lackey.

Before Nina could leave, Jeanne pulled her in a hug. Nina returned it only stiffly. Jeanne dearly wished she knew how to make her feel better, but this was another thing she couldn't answer.

Sofiel met her eyes. Perhaps she could. Jeanne quietly resolved to get them to talk later. For now, she had to return to managing an unprecedented myriad of decisions when there were no just laws to back up _anything_.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Belphegor decided the habit of saying "bless you" instead of "chaos be praised" would help a lot right now. Being sociable with humans outside of the red light distract with such a different affair, really. She mentally trained this by finding nice things about people around her : bless Durahanem for organizing ranks in her growing court, bless Rachel for shutting down complaining Red Troupe members. Bless their overlapping skills, really.

Don't bloody bless Malphas though for bursting from the floor while Belphegor was debating over whether or not to give up houses whose owners were dead. The human just straight up ran from the room.

"There's something you gotta see," Malphas said. "Cause I'm a damned architect yet can't tell what I'm looking at."

Since Malphas never went out of her way over trivialities, Belphegor followed.

Azazel had asked her to use her earth manipulation to restrict the castle's underground, something about containing shape shifting dragon enemies. During this she had come across an underground storage attached to a factory on the back of the castle.

Belphegor half expected zommorod storage and braced herself for the unpleasant radiance. Instead, they emerged into a vast cavern without a single shelf or glowing light The floor was far and smooth, while the ceiling cluttered with countless floating chunks of weightless rock, anchored with chains and metal constructs to ground and walls. Most boulders were crude, a few had been shaped into blocks and flat stretches.

Malphas's wards were present already, peering over a table with maps and glowing projections. To her surprise, Hamsa was also here. She joined the table and asked the duck why he was.

"I'm just checking out some stuff for some of the big shots up there, like the piece of the battleship that they took apart. It's in a nearby storage."

"Anyone already figured out what this is for?"

One of Malphas's wards sniffed, uncertain or displeased to talk to her. "Multiple things. We're not sure."

Belphegor went through the maps herself. There was no coherence to the plans, though some were costs and shipment orders. She eventually came across an excited scientist's scribbling into the log started five years ago. Upon invasion of hell they hadn't known Cocytus was built upon a fallen sky island, but they had been oh so thrilled about it. They planned to use the levitating rock to build airships like heaven had, not dependent on the skywhales.

One of Malphas's wards pushed a paper at her. "These are most recent. Tests for attaching an engine?"

Tests for attaching an engine to the rocks to see whether something could be lifted, and the dismissal of this project. Something just outside of the city. The sheer scale of it and the king's requested timeframe made it impossible, and so it had been dismissed. In particular, the lack of forces. He adamantly refused to let demons works on it. And well, even if he wanted to, he'd spent years slaughtering the strongest demons.

She might be able to pull it off if she had enough help, though her own little tribe — still so absurd to think she led one — didn't have much to aid.

A garbled yelp drew her attention. Walfrid had stumbled against one of the doors, stark raving drunk. Nishaol pushed him to the table, so Belphegor quickly gathered up the papers. _Please don't vomit, please don't vomit._

"Nishaol, why is he here?"

"I thought he'd be useful, what with this." Nishaol waved her hands around. "And don't you have a bet going?"

Oh. That. Favaro must've told others about it. Since Kaisar hadn't shown up to help the rebellion, she had to take on Walfrid as a ward.

"It'd be better if Malphas pacted him, but—"

"Forget it, I'm already doing enough," Malphas snapped.

Nishaol gestured. "You hear. Now, Walfrid used to be an airship captain once, using a chain system to remote control engines. He was pretty creative, maybe you know something to do with him?"

Belphegor narrowed her eyes at the timing and the papers in her hands. "As a matter of fact, yes, I do have some mechanical plans."

Walfrid managed to turn his gaze up and slurred, "Got no gears there."

Nishaol patted him on the shoulder. "Not yet."

Before Belphegor got another word in, Nishaol was at the door.

"What was that about?" Malphas asked.

Belphegor showed her the plans. "The king was inquiring on whether Dromos could be relocated."

"Not getting paid for that," Malphas said.

"Well, we'll find you payment," she said. She needed all the help she could get. More workers. And secrecy.

Chaos, she didn't know much about inventing engines. What were they going to use as fuel? How were they going to get it atop the ...

"Hamsa ... might the inventory for the missing parts be ... adjusted?" Belphegor asked.

Hamsa shrugged. "They might be."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar marched through the crowded halls with purpose, answered only to superiors, and never let on to his anger and disappointment.

The castle was in terrible disrepair. Between automatons, dragons, fires and explosions many parts had collapsed. This all should have been avoided. Jeanne and Azazel dragging their war out, it wasn't right. They only made things worse. This was ... it wasn't right. None of it was. They should have made an exception since Bahamut was vast approaching.

He knocked on the door of the Orleans quarters, was let in, and relaxed only within these familiar walls. No suspicions on his presence. He made his way to the captain's room to find not one but two people. Dias and Athos; perhaps there was confusion on appointed leadership now. Didn't matter.

"Captain! What happened to your hand?" Dias said.

"I had to part with it for a little while. You see, ..." Kaisar held out the latter Charioce had written. "Our king and kingdom require our aid."

Dias took it, and showed it to Athos.

Athos smirked. "We have a lot of work to do. Dias. Are you in?"

Dias glanced at Kaisar, who nodded in turn. Good man, he could always be relied on.

"Where is Allesand?" Kaisar asked.

"You haven't heard? Someone broke his legs. Nobody believed him he he said it was the pink girl, but after that reveal she did? There's an arrest warrant for her. We're not sure what to do though, she's always in company of the rag demon."

"I see. Your caution is wise, They are dangerous."

How petty of her, to take revenge like that.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Past night fall Azazel flew to the old church, Nina still trailing him. Her flight was unsteady still, but she managed open air well enough — hardly anything to bump into other than him. Which happened a few times, so inside she just used the ladder. Thus, Nina ended up inside what once had been his and Mugaro's home.

"We didn't see Mugaro all day," she said while closing the hatch. "Let's make sure we do tomorrow."

By now Azazel looked very confused at her presence.

Well, he hadn't withdrawn his invitation, though she hoped he wouldn't make a deal out of it. She didn't want to go back alone. Or at all.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not going to change into a dragon. I don't feel anything," she said. "So I can stay, right?"

He shrugged it off and turned to the fireplace.

She unhooked one of the boards covering the windows so she could lean out. At sunset the mist turned golden, but there was less of it now. Rita had dismissed the curse as a sign of good will. With that went the illusion spell, putting an end to paranoia about humans who might secretly be demons. She wished people could've learned from it, but they hadn't.

Mugaro's music carried across the last flares, bringing healing one more time. Song and lyre joined in, no human would guess part of the orchestra was demonic.

Azazel leaned against the wall, tall enough to look out over her head. He didn't stay there for long, though, which she was both glad for and regretted.

"Close it up once we turn on the light," he said as he dropped himself on bed. There he stayed to listen.

Peace for tonight.

Now that the city was a distant concern, it was so easy to think about her little bubble again. There wasn't anything bigger to think of than the fact this crush had also grown out into a unwieldy thing. Other than the looks, he didn't fit her romantic fantasy at all. If there wasn't so much grime and suffering around them, what would it even be? And he was so irritated with her crush on XVII and oh spirits. If there hadn't been any Chris, she might've moved on to another nicer guy who actually _was_ a random citizen.

"Aren't you going to ask about yesterday?" She kind of wanted him to.

"I thought you'd tell me if there was anything related to him that I had to know."

"Well ... it's not really crucial or anything, but I thought you might like to know I broke up with him. And uh, that's why I'd like to avoid crowded places. A lot of people know now the rumors were true. People from the hills saw us together, people from the castle ... I can't stand to hear them talk."

"What do you care for them?"

"I can't not, okay? It's ... they're right.. Not the whore thing, but I did feel affection for him. It's worse in the mouth of the people he's hurt. They know I felt that despite the pain he caused ... "

 _You. And Jeanne and Mugaro. Everyone else less._

Her throat tightened. She wanted to cry, but the more she pried the more she felt ... no, it wasn't a void of emotion. It was all rock stuck together. Unravel one bit and she might get an avalanche, and cave her in along the way. Counting her breaths, she scrambled for words.

Azazel found them before her. "It's not pride, is it?"

"Pride before myself at most," Nina said. "I want to be better than this and they remind me I wasn't. They call me a whore, as if that's the worst I did, but I do get why the demons are angry, and all the humans he hurt too. Besides, you're angry about it too, right? You can say it."

"Of course I am! No point swearing at you."

"So ... are you just tolerating me, or—"

"What is it with you? I can teleport and you spent weeks chasing me. You never even got close to finding this place. Tally that, shut up and sleep."

He turned over, and that was it.

"Sleep well," she said anyway.

She lay awake a long time after crawling under the blankets. It still smelled a little of Mugaro. It got her mind off of Azazel, and into a more grim direction. That night she dreamed of Mugaro's corpse frozen below an endless cape, right below her hands yet unreachable. Only Chris was on her side.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **October** **5**

 **· · · · · · ·**

For the first time in over two years, El Mugaro got to eat breakfast with nur mother. Too bad it wouldn't be a cozy, but the castle of a tyrant. Still, ne bounced out of bed, hurried to dress, found Azazel away (he probably wouldn't breakfast in Charioce's place anyway) and hopped through the waiting unicorn's gate.

On the other side was a table with a rich breakfast, but also open sky and ruins. They were within the ruins of the amphitheater.

"Mugaro!"

Siem, Arai and Kiprio came running to pull nur into a side room. There ne was presented with a bucket of hair dye; not demon blood this time.

"We'll pretend you're just same random child, alright?" Arai said while Mugaro dyed. "Your mother said so when she arrived before."

Oh, of course. Kiprio proudly displayed a drying spell he had learned in school. Adva and Tipa's magic necessitated it, but they'd been learning lots of other stuff too.

All along they eyed the food that had been prepared; it wasn't the stuff scraped together in the slums. Nur mother must've brought things from the palace, and given the size she expected more than two eaters.

The children on the other hand expect such fancy things not to be theirs, all were so young they'd only ever known life under the yoke of humankind.

"You can eat already. Really, there's enough," ne said. "I'll go find mother."

Permission given they didn't waste a second; even with all nur healing powers, starvation had a way to settle in the bones.

Various demons and a few of Malphas's wards manipulated the rubble into new walls. Even a few artists were around, but ne passed over watching for spotting nur mother. Jeanne stood atop near a broken pillar, speaking with a small goddess.

Upon taking notice, she opened her arms and new fell into the hug. Warm, no longer desperate, more like before when they didn't fear the world. There were more hugs than ever before, they had a lot to catch up to.

"We won, it'll all get better now, right?" At those words her smile faltered a little, enough to know it _wasn't_ all right yet.

"We'll make it so," she said. "It's why she is here."

She was a white haired goddess, young and donning a frilly blue and white dress; El Mugaro was pretty sure one of the friends Nina had made.

"Aurora, right? Nice to see you here," El Mugaro said.

"Oh, esteemed Jegudiel, it is an honor. We were not aware you were here," she said, before Jeanne discreetly nudged her.

"I came for my friends and I stayed for them too," ne said. "So why _are_ you here?"

"I maintain the mausoleum of Vanaheimr and came to see how Nina was doing, and I appeared be expanded on my old job."

"We're going to replace the amphitheater with a mausoleum in honor of the victims of Charioce's reign. A monument to peace and reminder not to revisit our past," Jeanne said. "Heaven invokes the imago to reflect visions of all the fallen gods, perhaps you could help with this, dear?"

"I can only look at it, Rita and her mist can put it places," ne said, but Aurora was already nodding.

"I can handle that. I've seen much of what you've done, there are many uses for accessing imago magic. No offense to the esteemed archangel, but I cannot help but wonder why he never used such a talent much," Aurora said.

Ne just shrugged nur wings. Michael remained an opaque entity, and not one ne wanted to dwell on.

Taking Jeanne's hand, ne said, "Come, let's go eat before my friends leave nothing. Aurora, do you wanna join too?"

"No, I have eaten already on the expectation I'd leave soon. I shall be satisfied to work here." Aurora bowed and passed a gate of her own. El Mugaro hoped she wasn't avoiding demons.

Slower than normal, Jeanne and El Mugaro walked back. Once away from workers, she said, "How's Nina doing?"

"I'm not sure. We physically healed her, but I don't think everything's right. She looks a little like when Azazel did when he was so sick. I mean on the astral plane."

"I will keep an eye on her, but you too. As I see her, I cannot help but worry you try to hide pain too," she said. "And you haven't been able to talk for so long. I don't have much time, but please, tell me what you can."

So ne told her all about nur new powers, of the strange things ne saw, and eventually of the people around. She listened, she had nur look at her sword, and did not do a good job at hiding her worry.

"Mother, what's on your mind?"

"Well ... What did you think of Gabriel sending you out?"

"I wanted to go! I just don't like some other stuff, she was really strict. She taught lies sometimes."

"... if Merlin wasn't such a risk you would go to war again, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," El Mugaro said as firm as ne could. "Mother, please don't stop me. Only I have the ability to take down the zommorod plague."

"You're a child still," she said, doubtful already.

"So are a lot of the people dying, mother. Who have _already died_." Tears started to prickle in nur eyes.

That was enough for nur mother to pull nur closer. Ne embraced her in return, but between the sobs there wasn't an answer yet.

"It's been long, El. You're allowed to rest and grieve, you don't have to face more danger. Not right now. Don't jump at anything. Alright?"

Ne nodded against her shoulder, wanting to hear more than the uncertainty in her voice.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Merlin stepped out of her gate, cautious still. Athos and Kaisar had arranged for a gap in guard patrols, small enough for her to slip by and work on a few spells in the hangar.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel made an attempt to find evidence of Charioce's plans concerning Dromos in the financial management records, and all she determined was that human government was atrocious. If only dismantling Dromos wasn't such a priority, she'd fix it. Formally, that was the goal anyway.

Informally, Bahamut was coming and she needed a reason to keep Dromos intact without setting off Odin making an ill timed grab for power.

So she went to Augustin's little church to try contacting Gabriel. Turned out he had pacted with El Mugaro to become a hallow who really wanted to discuss the rewriting of sacred texts — which Sofiel did not recognize. There was a strange, unspoken doubt in the man's eyes when she told him not to bother and wait for all new instructions.

Gabriel would not be in favor of even more adjustments to religion. She promised nothing, but then the man expressed confusion over the rules against lust and Sofiel had to explain that under certain conditions, yes, heaven might have orgies and no, there wasn't a good reason why humans couldn't except health reasons. Then she had to explain STD. This barreled them right into why heaven didn't share its intense magic and technology for the sake of people's health; El Mugaro had told him ne wasn't the only healer and there were hospitals in heaven.

It took her an hour of answering questions before even getting to the topic of tuning into Gabriel's private channels, and then it turned out that Mugaro had overhauled the entire magical atmosphere of the church to enact healing music.

Using the _god damned black bible_. She'd have to rebuild her entire beacon just to be able to transmit.

This sent her back to the castle where she hoped the Manarians might have something, or one of the gods who would arrive on Valeria's behalf. A ship would do.

There was a ship just docking inside the hangar, perhaps—

Urlain stepped out. Perhaps not.

"Dalua Urlain, welcome. What brings you here?"

Urlain gestured out the window, across the river. There lay the mass of Dromos between castle and the remnants of the heavenly ship. Charioce had started taking the latter apart.

"Lady Gabriel sent me to reclaim our battle ship," ne said. Sofiel's heart sank. Any other time Gabriel would have passed that task to her.

"And to inquire after your plans, since you no longer deem it fit to inform our leader of it. Just why did you turn Jeanne d'Arc into a saint?"

Oh no, there it was. Sofiel stood straight and declared, "It was pertinent to our efforts to overthrow Anatae and as you can see, my was call was righteous. The stolen matter is ours to reclaim."

But of course, Urlain already knew this.

"You must understand we have concerns of her _independence_ , especially after learning that she had brought Azazel to heaven, hid him, and we are fairly certain she sent her child with him. Our greatest defense against the evils of Charioce, vanished. Now Reinier edges into erratic behavior too by going along with this war while we struggle with Odin."

"Dalua Urlain, exactly for that reason we should not be at odds," Sofiel said. "Perhaps it will ease your mind to know that lord Michael supports Jeanne —"

"Oh, does he now? Do you have proof of this other than the birth of El?"

"Well, no, but it was three years later—"

"The afterworld is holy even to the purest of us," ne said. "I find it very difficult to believe he would contact Jeanne d'Ar and not lady Gabriel."

"The unicorn did it," Sofiel said, aware of how silly that sounded. This would probably be a bad time to mention ve was devouring zommorods as they spoke.

Urlain just raised an eyebrow. "Any other strong tales?"

Might as well. "The key chimera, Amira, astral projected out of Bahamut to warn us of its imminent return, and Charioce did something to prevent us all from sensing it."

"Ah, yes, that rumors seems to go around this castle. Apparently Ninati sprang it. Odin would have a field day with it, which would destabilize Gabriels's position. But perhaps not yours."

Sofiel just barely restrained the need to slap a hand to her face. "Why would you assume such of my intentions?"

"Perhaps you are just foolishly exploiting a sensitive situation. Perhaps that halo you gave yourself obscures your reason with pride."

Sofiel's eyes flicked up, seeing just the edge of the spiked circle. Oh dear. It appeared at intervals ever since she had sanctified Jeanne, so far without rhyme.

Halo did not obscure reason in any way, but of course, that's not what Urlain meant. Urlain saw independent behavior at a dangerous time.

They parted with only stiff congeniality, and more trouble on Sofiel's mind.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina stepped out of the gate atop the Azazel's ruined church, accompanied by Aurora and a stack of papers. After jumping through the hatch she caught the bundle before taking note of her surrounding.

The closet had been shoved aside to make room in the middle, where one of the goats sat. A bag of treats was next to them, which got a smile out of Nina more than it did obedience out of the goat. Azazel looked sour while the goat's tail busied itself with cleaning its own wings.

"No luck? By the way, we have a visitor," she said. "She's a friend from Vanaheimr. Also Cerberus wants you to sign these. I have no idea what any of this means."

She dropped down the paperwork before catching two bags of food that Aurora tossed , so they got very crumpled.

Aurora hadn't moved form her spot, let alone did she come down.

"He won't bite," she said. "Or scratch or anything."

"Oh, I'm sure _you'll_ be alright ... but well, because of him I did have to add a few people to the halls of memory."

Oh, right. Awkward. Spirits, that had gone so wrong. More than one life for hers.

Aurora excused herself quickly, so Nina did her best not to dwell and plopped next to the goat.

"She's going to make a mausoleum where the amphitheater stood. It was Jeanne's idea, or Cerberus's. I dunno whether they had the same idea at the same time. The papers are formalities cause Anatae's laws won't let demons be recognized as citizens, but they can be signed up as foreign visitors. Or refugees. Some folks from Valeria figured that out, so you're the leader. Want me to write out your name in local alphabet?"

But he just put the papers aside. "What was that about the mausoleum?"

"You know. The memorial. It works in the same way the bounty system does, something with imago, except it isn't put on papers but in light."

He looked away. "You understand your uncle is dead, don't you?"

"He met you. I know."

"There's something about that. I didn't want to do this already, but ... dammit. Come along."

He brought her had expanded far below the city, and Cerberus had set Arachna to work on hiding tunnels. They passed three such hidden doors before they arrived in the dungeons below the castle.

Nina's chest tensed as she stepped into the cramped tunnels. Worse than the caves of the slums. She itched to run, it stood out more when she wasn't on a power rush.

 _Get out._

She managed to stay. Her feet could move, but didn't. The world was frozen with her, if she moved more than steps it might get worse.

It wasn't like this before, why now? Nothing had changed.

When Azazel started talking it was a little better, but what he said was hardly pleasant.

"I didn't think about killing myself in the future," he said. "But I considered doing it in the past."

Oh no, he still wasn't altright even with Mugaro back. What could she even do to help?

"Why did that come up?" she whispered.

"He thought I'd gone soft because of you and Jeanne. He was wrong about why. You'd have learned from Aurora how I killed him, so I'm telling you now I still can."

He held open the door of a spacious but low hall. Between broken racks and bars lay a swarm of humanoid legs and arms, all zombified like Rocky. At Azazel's presence, they twitched into as much standing as they could.

"They're rooted in my magic, but Rita cast the spell and they don't obey yet the way my serpents do. Or the goats."

He sent one of those serpents into the nearest arm. "Shift."

At once, the arm transformed into a massive, familiar dragon leg. Purple and beige patterned, padded like her own.

An arm of Ladislao.

"If you remove a lost limb from the radius of transformation before the light breaks, it won't transform back," Azazel said. "An ordinary god or devil will permanently lose a limb if they are cut by a supernatural weapon. But the way your tribe uses transformation acts like reconfiguration."

He voice was dispassionate. Business as usual until he asked, "Can you hate him at least?"

"I ... "

He made other parts transform, filling the space with dragons legs at his command. All parts of those who'd hunted her down.

Her gut twisted, but she couldn't let it matter. During the weeks she'd tried to hunt down Azazel she'd seen a corpse or two. Most died quickly, a few were tortured to death. She hadn't felt anything bad about that because they were strangers to her. They had no faces living in her mind.

She made herself look at them. Her uncle's death hurt more than the others, one of whom she'd never even seen before the castle.

"I don't hate my uncle even now, but ... I'm trying not to care."

"So what about the blond brat who tried to kill you?"

"Allesand, I think? He was someone I knew, even if just by face. That made it like ... a person. A very annoying person, but he felt more real." She lost a hopeless little smile. "I guess that's why fate wanted me for XVII, it's that simple for me to care and forget."

Once words ran out the pounding of heart remained. The dragon didn't stir at all. Just one beat, and another. She couldn't tell whether she'd gotten stronger or weaker. She wanted out, but she had to stay or she wouldn't find out.

"Why'd you bring me here? You could've just told me this."

Now he faced her. "I hoped you'd get angry at last."

"I _was_ angry before," she said. "I drove myself into becoming dragon by it. I broke the field, I helped the invasion ... and I got beaten down. I've got nothing left."

She sat down, elbows on knees to support her chin. Dispassionate, she watched the crawling humanoid limbs and the twitching dragon legs. "Nothing."

Azazel could look almost ugly when he was so contemptuous.

"What? You really thought bringing me here would make me hate him, or XVII? Then what about you? Even if I could just flick my hand and make myself feel hatred for bad people, I don't think I want to."

He scoffed. "I don't give a shit whether you hate me. If that's what it takes to get you rallied against him ..."

"What, you really want me to try hating just cause people kill?"

"You should."

"No. No, I can't. There's gotta to be another way to make my dragon self do what's right. Just steering my emotions different isn't good enough. Not like this," she blurted. "I don't want to hate you, I'd ... I'd throw a lot of myself away like that too."

"So you're going to stay like this forever, living with whatever shit others throw at you?"

"It's not happening, Azazel. I can't ... I don't tick like that. No matter how many people die, I can't fly on everlasting rage. No, I'm just going to ..."

Deep down, something escaped.

Her own laughter sounded unnatural to herself, feeble from disuse. She picked up one of Ladislao's arms, holding it up as if displaying.

"I always write letters to my mother, but I'd have to show this. _Hello, mother, look who I brought home. Uncle. And uncle again. And look who is here! Uncle. He's a swarm of zombie limbs now, because Azazel killed him when he tried to carry out my boyfriend's command to murder me. Ex boyfriend, but the command already stood before I broke up with him._ That's actually more likely to happen than me having a rage fit." She tossed the arm over her shoulder. "We should accept that I'm very bad at hating people."

"Fine, then find something else. Anything to make you kill him."

"Dumping him and blowing up his kingdom's as good as it's getting on emotions."

"How about rationality?" That word didn't sound right in Azazel's mouth, or her own for that matter. "Don't you have any damn standards?"

"I did raise my bar, but I just ran right into you."

"Then raise it further."

"Not happening, Azazel." Nina almost added she wasn't talking about the moral bar, but swallowed those words at the last second.

She might not hold it against Azazel — one beloved face walking around for murder was enough and she was secretly, morbidly grateful — but others would. Azazel understood that already because he hid these.

"Is Jeanne up there? I need to talk to Jeanne. Can you teleport me there?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne relieved Sofiel from duty, and she would have gone found herself another task had one not burst through a servant's door.

Ninati Navrátil had found her way into the castle somehow, with the urgent words, "I have to tell you something."

"Nina—" Jeanne started.

"Sofiel, I'm sorry I with held information that could've allowed us to ambush XVII. And Jeanne, I'm sorry I brought him to the slums while Mugaro was there."

"Apology accepted," Sofiel said. "Are you alright?"

"Is there anything else I did wrong?"

Jeanne hesitated before she said, "Well, yes ... You breaking up with Charioce before most of the government confirmed preexisting rumors about the king and the red dragon and I have no idea how to present the rebellion to the alliance now."

"Sorry. And I'm magenta."

"And you told them about Bahamut," Sofiel said. "I'm afraid to say it's cast us in a difficult position. Your credibility does not help, and well, we had reason to avoid the gods learning of this. We'd like to know what you—"

"I'm really really sorry for that too."

"Nina, I'm not angry. You didn't know. But you've been rash a number of times, and I wish you'd hold back a little until you can discuss your plans with others. I'd rather have you talk with us than apologies." Jeanne tried her best to sound soothing, but Sofiel could tell she was tired.

Nina cringed. "Yes, there actually is another thing ... uhm, how do I put this? You remember how I said I had bad taste in men? I ... uh ..."

"Is it about Azazel this time?" Jeanne asked.

Nina's smile was all too apologetic. "A little ... a lot."

That expression turned manic rather quickly. "Something's very wrong with me. Do you have time?"

"I'm sorry, I am more than busy," Jeanne said. "They expect me to manage the Orleans Knights and cover various duties as regent pro tempore. Will you be alright speaking with Sofiel instead?"

"Don't let me stop you, go save the kingdom!"

Jeanne threw Nina a thankful smile, while Sofiel gathered up energy to open a gate to her ship. Nina launched through it, just to freeze on the other side. Eyes wide she stared at the ship.

Sofiel had decorated her private quarters with curtains, lights and a ceiling to imitate the bronze sky above heaven. The floor was soft, all really a giant pillow, though there were higher spots to sit or lean on. It muffled sound even in a magical way, no staff or creature could listen in. Aroma filled it designed to calm. Ninati wasn't immune.

"It's lovely," she said. "You should design more of heaven."

Nina let herself drop on the floor and giggled when she bounced a little.

Sofiel took a seat, and Ninati collected herself to sit down opposite of her with an unusually serious, if forced expression. Sofiel almost felt like she herself was the one under scrutiny.

"What's wrong with me? I keep falling in love with mass murderers."

The second Sofiel resolved to help, visions took for like memories recalled. Ninati Navrátil was the hinge of a monstrous love triangle.

Holy sun and above. She could almost see mirages of the others standing by. On one side the human tyrant committing genocide on her own people, whom she herself had barely escaped alive from. On the other side Lucifer's right hand, a fallen angel who had waged bloody war on heaven. Put a relatively innocent girl in the middle and unbiased advice would be a challenge.

But Ninati had no use for Sofiel's tastes when she was full of bleeding wounds thanks to one side. What she had a need for was insight.

"Why did your halo just go all bright?"

"I am ... working, apparently. It helps me think. Now, when you asked me about whether you were in love, what did you expect to learn?" Sofiel asked.

Nina shrugged. "Whether it was real. If not, I'd just get over it like with other triggers."

"If I'm not mistaken romantic relationships aren't just new to your life, but you have a poor concept of it to begin with?"

"It's that obvious? Yes, I got left out of it at home. People outgrew me whenever I lost time, and besides, I can't do dragon style courtship. I had my fairytales, especially the real one of my mother and father. Unlike fear or anger, I didn't like having to flee from these feelings, I wanted this, so I danced to the poems and the legends, and it it people proved their love by great deeds of devotion.

In _the stairway of fire_ the prince goes to ask a favor so he can prove himself worthy to marry the princess. I was going to tell Mugaro one version where it's for the entire earth, but it wasn't the version I cared for the most. I liked the version most where love was the conquest of trials in just one name, and then there the marriage like in all stories, and the perfect happily ever after.

Maybe my parents just looked perfect cause I knew so little. My mother hid the truth about my transformation from me for years, I never knew why ... what else did she hide? Maybe it wasn't perfect at all. So I don't know anymore. What to expect of romance. Chris... I mean, XVII is ... whom he is, and I think I also like Azazel, but it's so different. I don't know what to make of either. What is true, what matters the most?"

Nina clutched at her bracelet. A bounty hunter's bracelet. How had Hamsa arrived here? Oh well, that could wait.

"If you feel it then it is real, but that doesn't mean it's meaningful or healthy. A feeling does not constitute the entirety of a relationship, there are so many other things to it too."

"Oh, I know that now. I accidentally compared him to Azazel, and that set a few things in contrast. For example, Azazel was bad at talking at first, but he got better while XVII, well, he talks _about_ himself a lot, but not really _with_ me. It was when we had breakfast on a pretty balcony, I had a nice dress and he looked great, and it wasn't enough. It wouldn't last me to have only an aesthetic and a hobby. We can't just be the prince and princess, we have to be people too, right?"

Nina might know, but she didn't understand enough. All her baggage lay on her back unrecognized. Without clear source, Sofiel heard the echo of Nina's own voice, _That's all I get? My destined love is based on a hobby, and in return, I just have to survive him?_

Noted facts to Nina, but buried under the greater crisis.

"I commend you for knowing you deserve more, but it concerns me that this is what has made your hope for Charioce run dry. Your lack, rather than what you do receive from Charioce. It is more than just having to survive him the way you survive an avalanche or a fall. What did he do to you that you don't want in a loving relationship?"

Sofiel didn't actually need to be told. In between what she'd heard since her arrival in Anatae and Jeanne's stories of life on the labor camp she knew enough. Did Nina?

"Uhm, why is this important? Does it help me change into a dragon better? I mean, people are dead because of it, and Azazel's been through hell. Well, you know what I mean. All because I spared XVII. He is like that, I know, but when it was just us outside of the kingdom he's so courteous. I just want to know what's wrong with me to stop thinking about him."

"There is something wrong with you, but it is not your fault. You did nothing to deserve slavery and starvation, or even a kill on sight threat. Nina, you are in an abusive relationship."

"I broke up with him. And he never did anything bad to me during the dating, it's all the rebellion versus kingdom stuff."

Oh beloved order, there it was. She didn't cling to her fairytale by excusing his evil, but tried to see it as a tragic story of beloved enemies that stood as star crossed equals. Discontent as she was with her lot, she didn't fully accept her lack of agency.

"In heaven we do not let loved ones oversee prisoners no matter how much we trust them because of the inherent power dynamic, a concern well beyond favors. Even at the kindest intention, it would scar a relationship. Charioce XVII has engaged with you both personal and in name of his grander scheme. So he has done his harm through his political rank, what of it?

To be a leader of nations is to engage with others within a greater framework of the power within a smaller relationship," Sofiel said. "One does not need to exploit that advantage. Whom I appoint reflect much of my values and inclinations, even if they are not me. As one ruler about another, Charioce XVII's reign is nothing but abuse of power. You are his victim. He owned you and starved you and threatened you. Whether or not he did so on a domestic or legal level does not matter. You know Chris and Charioce are one, so you must accept that there isn't princess Nina and rebel Nina who stand separate with the wounds."

Nina pulled her legs up so she could hide her face behind her knees. It wasn't unusual for a victim to refuse to acknowledge they had been abused; the idea they lacked that much power was frightening.

"Well, I did try to assassinate him—"

"You responding to the suffering of others with defense is no excuse for the abuse you suffered. Caring for yourself isn't selfish, and you can be angry over what he's done to you. It might even make you stronger."

"Azazel just said something like that, but that just drove home my problem. My uncle tried to kill me so Azazel killed him, and showed me the remains of him and the other three. It was only my uncle I felt really bad about. I looked at those pieces, and forgot what he'd done to me. I'm telling you, something's wrong with me. At the same time, I can't resent Azazel for killing my uncle. I know what he did too, and I don't care enough either. He's killed many too. I'll lose my mind," Ninati said more frantic with each word. "The fate of the world hinges on my romance and everyone I'm in love with is into torture and mass murder, and I can't trust my feelings."

"We're not talking of the world right now. Whatever issues you had with Azazel pale compared to what problems exist with Charioce." Sofiel took her hands. "Maybe your heart is confusing, so train and trust your mind. Your feelings are not all you are."

Sofiel set Nina's hands together, and brought forth her magic. "Let me show you what I see within you : little selfishness. Less than is good for your survival."

From their hands a light shone that unfolded in a flower of butterfly wings, translucent, shimmering in Nina's pink light.

"How can it look like this when I love horrible people? It's not even just Azazel and XVII, there's more ..."

"Your feelings cannot be a sin or virtue, only your actions can be. This may lie at the root of it, but in itself it is nothing to feel shame for." The edges of the petals were sharp for that reason, and grew wider. Placed within context of the world, her love had the potential to cause great harm, or to unite against it. There was no one answer even as simple as she was. "You're trying to grow kindness into compassion, that earns you love from some and scorn from others. Romance alone does not define that, nor whether you find comfort in the darkness. What will you do with it?"

"And what do you think I should do?"

"I cannot command you, only wish. You deserve to explore what you need in peace, without the weight of the world on your shoulders. If you cannot escape what exists between you and Charioce, or Azazel, then take this question : what are they doing with their love for you? If you bring together your light, will anyone burn out or exalt? Will you?"

"It might be easier if you showed me theirs."

"I would not even if I could, not the way you are still. You tend to smile away your pain too easily by looking others ways, I will not add to that."

"It's just to see what could've been. I'd like to know whether mine was any similar to XVII's, or whether it was all fate's machinations."

"Perhaps if he had not been king or you had never gotten involved with the rebellion, you might have had a healthy relationship," Sofiel said. "But that did _not_ happen, so whatever I say I would affirm its need to exist in a world where you cannot undo the harm he caused you. This man who owned you once and aims for your life out of inconvenience, has he ever even done anything to express remorse? The barest morsel you could ask for?"

She laid the flower in Nina's hands, who held it closed. The roots grow out across her arms, sprouted further until they left a crown on her head. Just dimly, Sofiel imagined a flame over her head.

"Is he worth this? Is he worth you?"

Nina sat back, letting herself sink deep into the pillows as she held her gift closer, a mirage less so than insight. The magic dissolved in her. It wasn't only relief that brought tears to her eyes and shaky sobs to her shoulders. It would be a long time before she was better, but tears might be her first step.

At at that thought, something clicked right into Sofiel. Her own first step, there was no going back now from her own new direction. It was right to be this way, a goddess of something other than faith, and at the same time felt so wrong by heaven's creed.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar and Athos peered over the guard plans together. Jeanne had entrusted him and Dias with overseeing order within the castle and warned them not to let the other two kingdoms meddle to much. It was a convenient to excuse for certain changes to patrols.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **October** **6**

 **· · · · · · ·**

Olivia's tools measured things Rita could not read. Out of frustration she turned to her other project : what the hell were the zommorods? It was Belphegor's project, more technical than medical, so she only focused on the gaps Belphegor lacked : organic knowledge.

The people who made the collars never had a problem with the rocks latching onto them, so something had been different there. Just, what was it?

Rocky could practically fly now, but at the same time every use of that damn rock blackened him more. Without a host body to gain something from, he wouldn't last long. Sheesh, what was Kaisar's problem? He better get his ass back here.

When given a pen Rocky revealed Kaisar had received a spell instruction to form orbs better, which built on preexisting qualities. That was their best shot for experimenting right now.

Rachel and a few of her Smaragd Guard volunteered to help. Lining up six of them in a secluded cave, Rita set them over a stolen piece of Dromos — sure was handy to be able to sent a zombie arm into the river, have it turn into a dragon claw, and toss a pried off piece of Dromos close to the river bank. Rock stood atop of it to give directions.

The Smaragd Guard managed to produce a very shaky sphere over the material.

The black matter bulged up, but stopped. At Rachel's poking, it spiked and moved like ferrofluid, albeit less rounded. Straight green lines crossed it, but it would not take new shapes.

"It's like I _should_ be able to control it, but I'm not giving it the right instructions," Rachel muttered.

"Are the shards in your arms asking for instructions?" Rita asked.

Rachel shook her head. "Not one wit. This one's different."

They kept going until Belphegor came to ask, again, just to be disappointing, again.

"We figured out a lot of things that it's _not_ ," Trismegistus said. "We're not learning strictly speaking _new_ things. And to be honest, all we're doing now is teach Rachel my alchemic control tricks. You can stop peaking in every time you're between tasks."

"I wish you hadn't taken on a tribe," Rita said. "The more thinkers we have the more progress we could make."

Belphegor stared at the writhing mass for a bit, then at Rachel and said, "Kolraun, could we perhaps combine your plant magic? Make a pact with Rachel. Could you?"

"Maybe, but I'm busy with the food supply. Cerberus already planned out everything to do, and she's understaffed. Though, if she could skip hunting down food ... "

 **· · · · · · ·**

The minister of commerce had to approve new market additions to be breached. One didn't just go to another kingdom and trade there, all was regulated very tightly. So when the man got a request in inexperienced words for a demonic market right here in Anatae, he declined.

Of course, there was no king to add authority to this anymore, but in absence of such, the ministers still worked. Both the kings of Manaria and Valeria insisted they continue their work as before; their objections to Charioce's reign differed right now, but their support of the continental alliance did not. Anatae had to remain functional.

That left the demons with growing homeless numbers and not enough food. During Olivia's reign they'd plundered the lower city or tried to grow their own gardens, both beyond its limits now demons in the castle and upper city had been liberated. Jeanne spent an hour arguing with the minister to approve the trade with no success, and no support from anyone more experienced in the commerce field.

So she stepped on her unicorn and returned to Valeria, where the small demon town around the mines did have permission to trade.

The town was still as quiet as when Lucifer had moved in. Neither Arligau nor Mirin were in the vicinity, though after some searching she found Arligau in a relatively new building, surrounded by papers while a younger demon translated human writing for vun.

She expressed her concerns, and was swiftly informed that with the war, all resources had gone to the army and they were barely scraping by, but yes, technically there could be trading route. Just, ve saw no point in it, you see, Lucifer was still here. Had the tension escaped her?

No, but she hadn't dwelled on it.

Lucifer hadn't said anything but they all felt it. His plan had always been to wait until humans burned themselves out on Dromos before striking. Now he did the waiting a little closer to the source and he just happened to control the nexus. And she had an excuse to go talk to him, so she descended into the mines.

His room was still in the same place. At her knock a mundane, "Come in" sounded, poorly fit to the power.

He didn't even look up from his book. "Did you have a good reason to disturb me?"

"I've been looking for Cerberus's companion, Coco," Jeanne said. "She has been cooperative, but suspicious for his disappearance in my presence, I would like to appease her. Are you perhaps aware of his whereabouts, or should I begin checking slave traders?"

"How strange," Lucifer said. "Cerberus is one of the very best teleporters, and with their small size her dogs may take multiple leaps without exhaustion. Have you considered the dog died?"

"She would have noticed, I'm sure. I believe they share a soul?"

"So, you have been told. You are doing quite well connecting with demons, does that not concern you?"

"I have come to believe that demons do not embody sin," she said. "Your right hand, Azazel, has himself made a strong case for it. Not merely through deed, but though magical evidence."

"You take that in so easily. I see why someone like you would appeal to Michael," he said. "An unwritten slate with the right potential. He would not need much effort to make himself your everything, and now you cling to what other angels give you in his stead."

The way he said that would have had her burst out in defense of Michael, had this one been anyone else. She pressed her lips together, his words free to fester.

"If you like scraps so much, perhaps I should give you one too. Walk with me," he said. "We must discuss something anyway. You see, I found a familiar face."

Without hurry, he led her into one of the unused mining tunnels. The unicorn followed at a tense distance.

At the end of his chosen tunnel, Coco lay in chains at the very end, shivering like a leaf. Just as Jeanne would run ahead, the unicorn pressed vun nose in her back, urging her to stay put.

"Cerberus has failed to tell me a few things," he said. "I wonder whether there is more."

"I swear, lord Lucifer, she sent me out to find Jeanne, I simply wasn't able to report back! I—" Lucifer's power flared invisibly and Coco burst into golden flames, sending howls of agony echoing.

"Now now, we've been over this. Lying is no good," Lucifer said the fire diminished. Coco could only whimper on the ground.

"Lord Lucifer, it's true. He stayed to advise me when I dealt with political upheaval in heaven and to aid with the evacuation," she said. "After sustaining injury the unicorn crafted that new body. He hasn't been able to teleport since then."

"That _appears_ to match what he told me." He faced her with a dim smile. "But you see, I consider it lying to leave. things. out."

"I did not—"

"I meant your beast too. One cannot be part of this without seeing a little. Whether this little dog, or your patron deity. But I do not need to be told because once my sworn siblings all have let me down when they turned a blind eye to the crimes of Apólytos Deus Mortis. The fate of the human child, Miguel, was but the last straw of a long line of depravities. Have any of your new angels told you what was the _beginning_ of my rebellion?"

"I know scarcely who Apólytos even is," Jeanne said. Sofiel had told her a little about her when mentioning political foundations, but a lot of the laws were beyond her expertise.

He pointed at the unicorn. "Have you noticed the similarities between that horn and the zommorods?"

"Yes, it's similar to the power of Dromos, but without the injuring properties."

"Dromos is merely the name of its weapon state. The true source grows upon Kujata," he said. "An old relic from a world gone by, that we cannot rebuild anyway. The unicorns were persistent to try anyway. Holy only because the new world can interpret them as little more than that, but then again, there is no such thing as spiritual holiness."

He flicked his hand at the unicorn, throwing dark force across the tunnel. The unicorn cried out, a long even sound as ve buckled through vun knees. Lucifer's clawed hand held Jeanne in her place.

"When Apólytos Deus Mortis discovered that the unicorns drew from the same power as the accursed force of Dromos, she ordered them slaughtered," Lucifer said. "At the time I agreed with her judgment in public, but in silence questioned it. My first question. The last time I do so, it was her sentence of a cursed boy whose only friends could be the demons. Between that innocence and this monstrous being that is nevertheless also innocent, all meaning of holiness and purity died."

He flicked his wings and the green force broke from the horn, twisting and morphing into solid matter full of eyes, horns and bones.

"The only thing truly pure is Kujata, one who bears yet is protected against the world. The more complicated a system becomes, the more integral failure and pain are. It needs destruction."

"Do you believe that is why Bahamut destroys?" Jeanne asked, more accusatory than the fear that crawled into her gut. She'd rather demand he stop this right now.

"I do not care to philosophize over the inevitable. When we arrived on this world, Bahamut behaved first and then it did not," he said. "Should it come to my doorstep, I will retaliate. Its reasons are destruction, that is all."

The unicorn cried out again, head pulled to the ground under the weight of malformation.

"And you, dear saint, have given yourself to another god you do not understand. I thought perhaps you should try educating yourself before you come to me about what I do."

Finally, he dropped his hold on the unicorn.

"Be polite when someone gives you valuable knowledge."

Through gritted teeth, she said, "Thank you for the information, lord Lucifer."

The claws stopped digging in her shoulder. "Well then, I better go home."

As soon as he'd teleported away, Jeanne was at the unicorn's side.

The pulsing force didn't feel venomous like Charioce's variant, so she tried conducting its flow. The unicorn didn't want it sent away, but rather inward. Already restoring vunself, Jeanne could do little more than aid. It was met with gratitude, and ... satisfaction?

Once the unicorn was back on vun feet, Jeanne manifested Joyeuse to cut Coco free, only to realize the poor dog was gone too. Lucifer must've taken him.

The unicorn bristled, letting her know it would take time to recover. No answer to what ve truly was, or desired. As if she was alone.

 **· · · · · · ·**

When Azazel entered Cerberus's lair with a few freed demons, he found it strangely empty. After getting Al Miraj to escort the newcomers somewhere better, he called Mimi out. She informed him they might have a way to find Charioce happening in Rita's laboratory. On the way there, Mimi explained that to work around Merlin's ability toe rase raw scent trails — Azazel suspected she'd riffled through Martinet's files, or he'd learned from her — they were going to cobble together various magic.

Rita had used equipment that Belphegor had snatched from Olivia's workshop under the amphitheater, somehow, to knit together different magic styles. When prodded, Rita also explained a lot of the stuff was observatory and did similar as Mugaro, but while it could see less, it registered more and in terms of use unlike Mugaro's untranslatable senses. They'd put Mugaro's access, Sofiel's interpretation and Cerberus's identification together in one spot, leaned heavily on each member's magic sensing abilities, and directing it at a specific topic.

Azazel expected some item relevant to Charioce, but it was Nina. Specifically, using Nina's goddamned _thing_ for him.

She stood alone in the middle of a cave, the walls lined with junk machines and sizzling vials. Mugaro waved at him before turning attention back to a glass sphere in which Cerberus twirled magic, while Sofiel quietly argued with Rita.

Belphegor sided up to him, that excited look on her face. "I'd never have imagined we might be combining different magic through technology, isn't it amazing?"

"We might have to fight Charioce soon, focus on that."

"Oh, we will. Everyone useful is on their way already, but this might take a while. We're still tinkering. You better sit down.

He didn't sit down. The other continues working, and grew bored quickly. So was Nina.

Eventually he tried to go into trace to summon his goats. Without aid it didn't work so well — something about energy channels — and the most he got through was that the goats had to come here.

Like fog they slipped into the cave. Nina in her boredom coaxed them nearer. He left them free to do so, just training his link to them without zoning out. Nina was relentlessly soft with the creatures, ruffling their fur and letting them bump against her. Like nothing was wrong.

She was probably distracting herself again with happiness.

"I think I'm seeing something," Rachel said, picking at nothing in the air close to Nina.

All but Rita at the controls came closer.

"Maybe we should have some black bible mist across the city regardless," Belphegor said.

"No, if the fog rises they'll be suspicious. I'll carry the black bible and we'll take a local mist. Can your water shapers achieve that?"

"They're with me now," Mugaro said. "Mimi, could you call them?"

Making this crap work involved so many people, it barely seemed useful at all. Get a move on it already.

Once they had the mist going, the humans technically saw more, but it wasn't useful because of course.

"I might be seeing something, but it's really," Rachel said.

"Me too," Mugaro said.

Cerberus sniffed, then glared at him. "Get out of here. Take your stupid mind linked goats. You're standing in the way."

Begrudging, he found a wall outside to lean against. That's where Favaro found him. "What are you doing out here?"

"Mugaro, Cerberus and that pink angel are combining powers to track down Charioce through Nina. My hatred for him is so powerful it gets in the way."

"Really? I'm pretty sure the pink one's a goddess of _love_. Cerberus has been complaining her being here is like an airhorn hollering, _community relevant, employ_. I bet that's cause love's pretty handy for community, and if you're being also loud ..."

Favaro had always been weird, not to mention a liar. "Don't waste my time with your nonsense."

"Yeah, you're worse than Kaisar."

"Don't compare me to that nitwit!"

The door burst open. Nina frantically looked around, surrounded by a hazy kind of chain.

"It worked? What does it look like?" Cerberus asked. "I only smell something."

"Just a red thread," Favaro said. "Hey, anyone else seeing a red thread?"

"Yep," Rachel said, and the rest of the Smaragd Guard tuned in; most of the humans did, for some reason.

"What do you see?" Azazel asked Nina.

"Butterflies," she whispered, her other hand covering her stomach. "Red butterflies."

She seemed to snap out of a trance and declared, "Guys, I'm going to run as fast as I can. Keep up with me."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Merlin woke up to a nightmare turned prophecy. For the first time since her betrayal of fate, she received a clear vision : the red dragon leader the enemies right here.

"Everyone! Wake up! We have to leave, now."

She practically threw her magic into a gate. Charioce was on his feet right away, followed by his knights, but the old Chabrol and the forest dragon took longer.

"How do you even know that?" Chabrol grumbled.

"I had a clear vision," she said, locking eyes with the forest dragon. "Though I not know why."

The old dragon just raised an eyebrow. "I guess fate's getting desperate."

"We will simply speed up the process," Charioce said.

This wasn't part of the plan. They were supposed to detonate at a quiet night hour, when the Orleans Knights had commanded an inspection to keep as many forces away. They should have had a quarter of an hour or more before someone noticed the lack of patrols, now they would run into people.

The Onyx Knights extended their blades. Still Merlin opened the gate to someone secluded, and let them pass into the castle's hangar quietly.

They killed everyone on their way to preserve silence. She stepped over the corpses, and sternly reminded herself of how many had died because of her own betrayal, just like more would die if Bahamut got to run free. This didn't matter. It was nothing compared to everything else.

It had to be.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Chris had made sure to have his helmet on today. At least _that_ was going according to plan, unlike everything else. He'd have liked to leave a nice note to Manaria about forgiving them for defecting everything would be clear later, but maybe it was a tad too late to be forward.

The hangar was cramped with ships of three kingdoms and a bunch outside. Some were skybeasts, all unruly with the sudden commotion. Good. Bombs would detonate the ships, and the beasts going rampant would cause the rest of the necessary destruction. Nobody would be able to follow them.

Once they were outside anyway.

Merlin was in the middle of enchanting the area to prevent gates and teleportation when she announced, "The followed us by tuning into a random location nearby. They must have someone with the ability to cast gates too, and one hell of a beacon."

One of the main gate hinges dropped and a goat's head peaked out. The scratching at the door continued. Black snakes started writhing through the crevices, until a black and white hand wrenched through the metal until the bar lifted.

The gates didn't fall, they exploded into the hangar. Merlin had to drop her work and redirect them to the side through gates. The sheer noise would alert the castle of the castle.

The group that entered was just small, Azazel, Favaro, some pink haired angel, a few old women and ... wait ...

Before he got a good look, the floor exploded.

Both Azazel's monsters broke out of the floor, but they didn't attack. They made way for ... oh, wonderful. A few dozen disembodied zombified limbs all turning into dragon parts.

His Onyx Knights hurled spheres right away, but there were so much some barreled past. One got squashed under the sheer weight. And he already was running so low on Onyx Knights, now he had just four.

"Captain, retreat onto the ships and give the command to move out!"

"But your majesty—"

"You will only get in my way."

He charged up his sword; a show when his intent was to start a line of spheres instead.

The monsters all hurled at him, he caught every single one — he was the chosen one for a reason, none could control this power with his finesse — and threw them back. He followed, using the chaos to dive at their master. Without Jeanne Azazel was an easy target, and he wouldn't be fooled by Favaro again—something slipped around his arm and jerked him sideways.

He saw a glimmer of pink before Azazel shoved a knife through the crevice of his helmet. He just barely managed to twist away so it hit his already blind eye. On sheer instinct he exploded power out of his hand anywhere near, throwing back his attacker.

That worked, though the use made him hazy enough to need a moment to recollect himself. Azazel bleed not enough to stay down.

The dragon limbs crowded up around them.

"You did this?" Chris said. "I thought you'd gone weak."

"He actually did." That wasn't the voice he wanted to hear again. The distraction. "Bet it still doesn't fit your measurements."

Nina stood partway between him and his target. Chris flashed back to that time her saw her mirage in the illusionary mist, surrounded by enemies with only herself bright. She hadn't wanted to kill him then, and still didn't want to now. He could see it.

But Azazel had more than enough hatred to do it in her stead, and she wasn't going to stop him.

"Fair enough," he said.

Time for duty alone.

His five ships moved out, but not fast enough. The zombies sustained damaged from his power, but shifted back into their old shape after transformation. There were so many, his knights couldn't catch them all. Just seconds till they'd be whole.

"Merlin, detonate."

"The hangar isn't empty yet—" she said somewhere behind the wall of limbs.

" _Now_. Emphasis on your demonic power."

"Very well, your majesty."

Merlin set her pipe to her lips. The smoke she released sped throughout the hangar. Explosive circles set alight with mossy green power as Merlin chanted. Azazel sent out an array of serpents to gather all his allies close, his beasts joining the shield.

Chris let his own blood flow, it expanded almost as fast is Merlins's power. Through it he surrounded his five designated ships with a field of power, pushed the taxing pain back. Merlin's smoky magic filled the hangar on its beat. Everything incinerated like the blaze of hell itself, save his ships.

Merlin let go of her magic and opened a gate for the both of them. He afforded himself one look back, but couldn't determine whether Nina lived.

Time to fold that feeling for good.

Chabrol met him on the other end. "Did you succeed, your majesty?"

"Yes. We should have no pursuers. You may thank Merlin."

But she'd already wandered off to a window.

He cast a final look at his work too. Next time he saw it, it'd like be in war or wiped off the map by Bahamut's fire. Didn't matter, it'd be rebuilt. He'd made sure of his legacy.

"The barrier around the lower part of the city is fading," she said. "Why?"

"Does it matter? There is only one thing left to do now."

Her hand clenched against the window. "You really will go through with this without warning anyone?"

"It is my destiny," he said. "Any act I take therefore is in accordance with destiny, is it not?"

"... yes. It must be so. Or you would have listened to me before."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Arachna dithered on her thin legs, but worked fast. With Charioce having left the city, she was more willing to go out during daylight. Silly thing was rather paranoid. Cerberus and Mimi stayed with her all along — this was totally not out of anxiety about crew members going missing and Coco would show up soon.

Arachna had been worked to the brink when Olivia had driven her, which made for a shoddy job. That wouldn't do when all these flammable webs had to vanish entirely. Nobody else could touch them without getting stuck, at least until Belphegor showed up with Trismegistus for testing options.

Trismegistus took a sample of a fresh thread and did her weird magic, while Belphegor reported, "We found no indication of what the barrier was made of : no circles, no trace remnants of beacons, nothing. Only Jeanne's word it was made of human magic somehow."

Trismegistus set a new thread on creamy fire. "This on the other hand is crude in comparison. The barrier was so strong, she didn't need the threat to avert invasion. What's the point of keeping hostages when you make no demands?"

"Maybe Olivia didn't think the barrier would last," Belphegor said. "They were allies, right? Not master and follower?"

Cerberus leaned on her strange power to find out, inspiration told her yes. But that was about it, and only for Olivia's side. Angra Mainyu didn't show up in anything. She might as well not exist, which was bizarre when she had so much impact on the community. There should be _something_ to detect.

Nothing, just a hollow, but hollows weren't curious.

 **· · · · · · ·**

That night, Favaro scourged the crowded underground until he found a lake cold enough to avoid population. Arachna had made doors to the tunnels, which he all closed.

Then he waited. Amira did not show up, but someone else blinked into sight : the elusive Angra Mainyu, her wings expanded all the way to the walls.

"Hello there. Seen Amira by any chance?"

"Her astral projection is cancelled." The dry voice did not echo at all, and it was only the magic in the water that responded to the chains. This creature wasn't truly here.

"Yours isn't. Anything you could fix about hers?"

"That old dragon interfered by disgracing her, a trick. Unfortunately."

"Really? Sounds pretty fortunate to you. Lowering that barrier only now ain't helping us. Why did you?"

"I am little more than a hole in the world," Angra Mainyu said. "I made a hole for the humans to fill."

"You mean it was human magic powering the barrier?"

"The excess magic humans emit that otherwise would go to heaven or hell, kept here by unwitting pact with the king."

"Really? I'm supposed to believe Charioce willingly pacted with a demon?"

"No. Once again, I am a hole in the world and I match well with other holes. Chris does not hate, neither do I. All I have to do is be near."

"Oh, I see. You are the demon of indifference, aren't you? No wonder you didn't care Olivia died," Favaro said. "So how does that mesh with you being _curious_?"

Somehow the mouthless creature chuckled, if the cracked rasp could be called that. "A seer. I don't need to practice my nature anymore than Furfur needed to feel either hope or despair to be a demon of either. That is not the kind of sense the system magic, it wasn't made for by your logic."

"So, what are you curious about? What is was made for?"

"Beauty flaws."

"Well, we got lots of beauty to offer," Favaro said. "I don't like you poking at some of it though."

"Indifference is a hole that spreads or retreats and I see where your lines lie quite well, even if what lies within is out of my reach.

Azazel once was so well at indifference to all suffering, including his own.

Belphegor a wholly different kind, already so full of love but steering it scarcely useful.

Cerberus, indifferent to her own potential as she floats in the void.

And you, indifferent to almost all except those few you love. Your border creeps.

El Mugaro, never indifferent about what matters, but a child who understand so little. And then there is Ninati, so far from indifferent, but once so ignorant and shortsighted she might as well be indifferent."

"She's gonna prove that wrong," Favaro said. "And I'm gonna prove fate wrong. A perfectly planned world would not need machinations to steer and defend it, so there's something to worth unraveling. What I can't figure out is where you stand."

"With sea and sand, with Bahamut and Kujata beyond the fading judgment of El Elyon."

And of course, to be dramatically appropriate she vanished right there.

· · · · · · ·

In the middle of the night, a gate opened into the castle. Out stepped Nina, Aurora and some angel acquaintance of hers, who Nina had seen around but never managed catch the name of. She was rather good at directions though, allowing Aurora to gate them right where they had to be : princess Anne's bedroom.

Aurora lit a small star in her hands, revealed the firmly sleeping princess.

Nina shook her shoulder. "Hey, Anne, remember me?"

Anne's bleary eyes open. With a yelp, she sat up. "Nina?"

"The one and only ... well, as long as we're talking about magenta draconic Ninas."

"I'm not supposed to talk to you," she said. "How did you even get in here?"

"Really? Why not?"

"You're a rebel and your boss has very dubious recruitment methods," Anne said. "Honestly, I ought to sound the alarm right now."

"Please don't, I just wanted to see whether the old woman's okay. I saw how everyone hated the zombies, and remembered her. This is Aurora and her friend, who goes by Magedou ... sorry, what was that again?"

"Magedatidot," ve said happily. "And we're looking for Klarimiani, the revived mother of Chris XVII."

"The who now?" Anne said.

"Charioce's mom. Also, Azazel's not my boss."

While Aurora opened another gate to an empty servant passage — Magedatidot somehow knew there were was a restrive ward around the room now — Nina explained to Anne what she knew of the woman and could she please please take care of the poor lady who was probably going to have a crisis about being demon souled?

"Uhhh ... why is there a restructive barrier around her if she's harmless?"

Aurora's light sizzled out. When she took a step back she could light it again. "It's anti divine magic took. A circle around the room."

"Powered by a small zommorod mechanism by someone in the room below," Magedatidot added. "You can go in if you don't use magic."

"Got it."

Anne hesitated still, but when Nina went ahead alone she followed.

The door creaked open to a room with just one candle. Klarimiani still sat at her loom, weaving quietly, but her threads had darkened.

"Good evening, are you okay?" Nina asked. "Did you hear about the change of government yet?"

The woman's hands dropped. "How could I not? The servants say they'll get rid of me soon."

Nina pushed Anne forward. "This is Anne, she's very nice, she'll make sure you're okay. Bye now."

"Don't you dare!" Klarimiani snapped.

Now she turned to Nina in full, the changes to her stood out. She'd been zombie pale before, now a darkened sheen and pale lines covered her skin, and her eyes had darkened so much, her pupils barely stood out.

Anne stepped back, her hand filling with magic. Nina quickly got in the way.

"Don't. It's okay, she's not aggressive. Right?"

Klarimiani just shook her head. "You don't know what you're talking about. We don't either."

"We?"

"Her and Furfur," Magedatidot said. "You should explore that change of perspective more."

"I don't need to be told that by whatever you are," Klarimiani spat. "Your kind has only made things more difficult for the world. Find some other refuge. We know."

Nina and Aurora shared a confused look.

"You are closer to me than to this world." Magedatidot reach a hand out. "That much is true, but perhaps you are so close you cannot see it all. Come and see with us. Or will you end up like Satan and Zeus, consumed by a little girl?"

Klarimiani, or whatever else was in there, closed her eyes. Her fists clenched.

Anne just sighed. "I feel another world breaking conflict coming up. Fine, I'll see what I can do for her."

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **October 7**

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne still wasn't back by morning. Had the pact now allowed her to sense her welfare, she would have gone to Valeria. Instead, she went to Vanaheimr.

Lines and lines of ships surrounded the island. She recognized the models from Asgard, Olympus and Kunlun, but some she could not place. It was to her best hope most of those were in support of Gabriel's rule.

The capital itself buzzed with noise behind doors while the streets were empty. Sofiel called her secretary, got a link onto the forums's hotspots, and didn't even know where to begin. Instead, she created a screen to speak with Bacchus.

"Oh, lady Sofiel—"

"Bacchus, update!"

"The rumors broke that Bahamut's going to return," Bacchus said. "Odin almost made a motion of no confidence, though I talked him out of it."

"At this point we might benefit from heaven having proof of Bahamut's return as soon as possible. Charioce escaped with five warships and sabotaged our means of pursuit. We need to send an army to Eibos right away, doesn't matter which."

"Uh, Odin's plans are more like claiming control of Dromos and that's it. He isn't sure himself Bahamut's actually coming, he just thinks Charioce is overreacting to an actual sign that Gabriel might have overlooked."

"So he has no plan?"

Gabriel would at least be reasonable once she had evidence.

"Hey, what's going down below there? Did you see Hamsa?" Bacchus asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Why did the Magedatidot bring him down there?"

She'd like to know that too. "I have no idea, and it's of no importance now. We must arrange to storm Eibos. Lady Gabriel is still here, right?"

"She was negotiating with Kunlun a while ago, but she should be back."

She disconnected.

What few gods could teleport far distances had become scarcer during the recent war, but she herself had gained distance the more she had embraced her wayward nature. Given enough forces, she would be able to face Charioce. She just needed the extra ships. She just—

A guard approached to declare, "Lady Gabriel requests you."

Just needed to get this over with and have Gabriel see reason apparently.

She went to the lopsided golden lake, and found Gabriel alone on a floating platform. The light had dimmed a little, and the atmosphere was sour. Slow, Gabriel stood up.

"Sofiel."

"Lady Gabriel."

"What precisely have you been up to lately? Make your case."

"Lady Gabriel, we must have more saints or hallows. We could have stopped him if Jeanne wasn't the only one there to lead a charge! Instead, damned Azazel summoned a problem and and all of Anatae once again looks at demons as the enemy."

"That is only the natural order," Gabriel said. "We must return order to the world, one where there is no room for pledges with the hell born. It is already troublesome enough that you recorded them into our justice system as victims — Charioce did not need further crimes to implicate him. Your sympathy for creatures whose very being encourages them to instill fear and hatred in humans is most worrisome."

"I have my reservations about that too, believe me," Sofiel said. "However, I find that loose of such endeavors demons can be reasoned with. They have been useful for our cause, critical even. It was a demon who took down the generator under the castle that kept us from teleporting in, and there are more yet."

"I've heard it was one of our dragon allies that did so," Gabriel said. "They are not the same as the hellborn."

This wasn't going anywhere useful. "Duly noted. I will now proceed to ensure the capture of Charioce XVII."

She opened a gate hoping to cut off further argument, but crystals sprouted from it. She jerked her hand back.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Do you understand what will happen if Odin gets his way and our citizens see nephilim as an inherent weakness? When it will no longer be magic, but blood that determines sanctified purity? We stand on the brink of war while you choose to challenge our entire way of existence!"

"I have done no such thing! Jeanne as a saint was able to plow through Charioce's forces and got so close to killing him. We should have explored this option years ago!"

She might as well have said nothing, as Gabriel went on, "I was contacted by a certain priest, Augustin Cluysenaar, a very pious and loyal man. A stronghold against the decay of faith. He was rather confused concerning new creeds that emerged, apparently supported by Azazel, and _you_? Even if we regain Dromos, what will we have? A broken faith that leaves us behind."

"We can gain our life force from more than faith," Sofiel said. "I've seen even demons change nature."

"You would hope that, no doubt, to justify your errant ways. No wonder when you take such liberties as kissing humans so intimately. I do not believe you are worthy anymore to stand as one of the archangels when you cannot uphold the simplest of commands."

Oh no. Augustin had told her that too?

Gabriel droned on, "You yourself who saw Bacchus off. No great loss, of course, one of another court who did not even possess wings. But you are an angel, not a mere god. We angels are the inner circle of El Elyon and shall stand before vun throne one day. Our wings the testament of our divine heritage, we must remain pure."

"Lady Gabriel, you are well aware it doesn't work like—"

"You know the law, Sofiel. Exile will be yours, but be assured. As an angel you deserve the test of faith."

Sofiel's heart sank. "No, not now. We don't have time!"

At the flick of Gabriel's wrists, the golden metanoia rosary spell encircled Sofiel. She was strong enough to keep her senses, but it still choked the voice out of her.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Favaro didn't often pace, but now the time had come. Kaisar had been caught red handed in saving Charioce's life again. Belphegor had hit him with a poison dart yesterday, if Kaisar had used that trust to lead him into another trap it could have been over. Hell, Kaisar could've done it himself probably.

Azazel would have.

It was all fun and games to hang out with his father's murderer, but now faced with the probability that Kaisar had landed back on Azazel's murder list ... damn it. Why did the people he loved always have to get into sticky situations?

His one hand chained to the wall, Kaisar waited in a cave below Cerberus's home. He didn't look up, didn't try to talk.

The time passed painstakingly slow until the door burst open. Seething, Azazel filled the entire frame, wings out far enough to scratch the wood.

Kaisar still didn't look up, not even when Azazel stomped toward him.

Within a blink Favaro stood between Azazel and Kaisar. Azazel snatched Favaro up with a serpent, threw him back and was at Kaisar's throat. The scent of blood filled the air.

"Wait!" Favaro called. "You're not really gonna kill him over this, right?"

Azazel did stop. Maybe he already had stopped earlier, a moment lost in Favaro's own panic.

"Why shouldn't I? He's a repeat offender."

"Yeah, not denying that, but we can fix that."

"Fix it like you did? You just forgave him." Azazel looked back. "You knew exactly how he was, ten years ago, and you just shoved it aside. How often did he try to kill you? How close did he get?"

"Look, what's done is done. As long as I'm safe I don't give a shit," Favaro said. "And Kaisar's not a threat to you or me right now."

"Will you change your mind if I kill him here? See how well it worked out for you to forget about what I did to your father."

Kaisar hadn't said anything so far, but Favaro didn't count his blessings yet because it was gonna happen any time—

"All this violence won't solve anything!"

And there it was.

Azazel sneered. "And what did _you_ solve? Do you have _any_ idea how many died after the first time you saved him? How many will die this time?"

Azazel was beyond the angry spat, his voice was and drawn out, like rage tiding up to death.

"We'll lock him up," Favaro said. "Then he won't do any damage anymore."

"For how long? Till Jeanne pardons him? Till you get bored?"

"Dammit, just ... you know what, I don't wanna lose people anymore than you do! I don't have a good reason. You still have some love for you damn games, right? What do I have to play, or should I skip right to begging?"

A long beat passed, then Azazel threw Kaisar away. With utmost disgust, he said, "You already are begging."

Within a blink, he'd teleported from the room.

It was left with tension that had nowhere to go but inward.

Including Sarvo. The Red Troupe wouldn't be an ally much longer from the looks of it.

The room filed empty, while Favaro pulled Kaisar to his feet. His throat was bruised, though Azazel hadn't cut yet. The blood was from Kaisar biting his own lip.

"Don't tell me you were gonna argue with him?"

"He doesn't get it," Kaisar muttered. "None of you do."

With a sigh, Favaro dropped him. "I don't know why I even bother."

"You don't have to." Kaisar stayed on his knees.

It was Nina who broke the silence with, "I know a place we can lock him up."

Only now did he process Nina had arrived, despite his senses. He'd been so focused on Kaisar.

"Why didn't you do anything?" Favaro said.

She twiddled her fingers together. "Well, I'm trying to get myself to not let it matter when XVII or his friends get hurt just because I know them."

"Nina, what the hell. This isn't the way to do that ... or the time. Ugh, this is more up Jeanne's alley. Anyway, next time just do something."

"Why is it bad or good if Kaisar dies? He spent years trying to kill you, right? And you still loved him through all that, until he came around?" Nina asked that with such sincerity, he couldn't just shrug it off. Not when he knew the dreadful question behind it. How was she dealing with the Charioce thing anyway?

"Where do I draw the line, teacher? XVII, Azazel, you, Rita, Cerberus, Kaisar, you're all murderers. XVII is the only one I'm sure has to go down."

He flopped down next to her. "Well, how about we get there first then?"

"I'll try, but I don't know where he even is."

"The journey to Eibos takes about eight days on a skybeast," Favaro said. "At least, I think so. Maybe he's got something faster, or he could take the long tour. Or we could just wait till he comes back here. I don't know, kid. I'm out of my league too."

"We should get everyone in the same league," Nina said. "And then go to the next one together."

"Sure." What was that supposed to mean?

· · · · · · ·

The scorching desert pushed waves of heat into ship's opening doors. Between these and the pale mountains was only a short distance, but she had to cross it by foot.

Sofiel had been aware of the protocol of Dudael, but never paid it heed. Nobody had been sentenced here since the Watcher rebellion. She certainly never would have imagined herself on the walk of penance — could scarcely believe she had to. Yet here she was, stripped of crown and in the black gown of a disgraced.

The heat seared into her bare feet. Sheer stone gates twisted out of the circular entrance, giving way to a long spiral stairway. Behind her, Gabriel and a guard followed on floating platforms, shielded from the scorching heat that soon turned to biting cold.

Every step was taken in disbelief. She'd said so much to Gabriel on the way here, couldn't process she wasn't listened to — for all her distance, she'd been sure Gabriel cared for her. This couldn't ...

But it was the law.

But they had thrown hundreds of angels in here already.

But this was the reason dark angels fell all the way rather than pull back.

At the bottom of the stairway was a circle of tunnels entrances. She was to choose on her senses. Having no favor and no feeling, she walked past the first.

On and on through the cold, silver halls. Pale light fell through what might seem ornate windows from a distance, in reality fenced with holy spikes and iron bars. She looked at those rather than anywhere around her, but the sounds were inescapable.

A murmur here, a moan there, but most of all the prayers. Gods only ever prayed for their own salvation : the power to resist decay and stay true to faith.

She could not bear to see them, it might be her future.

A door opened to her left. Inside it was a vast, empty hall partially flooded.

"Here appears to be your destined cell," Gabriel said. "As expected, for those angels who give in to lust."

Sofiel finally met her by the eye.

"Nothing calls me, lady Gabriel. What charade is this?"

"They all say that when they first arrive here," Gabriel said.

That was new. Sofiel had assumed her lack of welcome would mean something, but this mean there was no test she could master.

One of the guard pushed her in. A metanoia chain manifested at Gabriel's behest, and lost its golden glow as it wrapped her arms together and bound across her torso. A second chain latches around her legs to a weight in the water.

"If you find yourself attuned again to the ways of faith, you will be able to free yourself," Gabriel said. "These chains heeds the command of all gods true in their faith."

Sofiel knew, and now she felt it. She would be stuck here while the world would fall. On a last fit of desperation, she said, "We are on the brink of war, and we need Jeanne. Is this punishment for her too?"

"We will handle that better than you could." Gabriel turned away ad she spoke, a shiver in her voice. Sofiel heard regret in it, but it meant nothing when she was still locked up here.

"Lady Gabriel, not now. _Please_."

"You can easily free yourself," Gabriel said again. "Prove yourself loyal."

The gates shut her in with the darkness and the rising chants.

How would Jeanne take this? She had already believed herself abandoned once. She would continue to fight for the people, or would she shut herself down again?

 _Come back to heaven, you must go back to heaven. Have faith in El Elyon._

 **· · · · · · ·**

It took the unicorn long to return to health. They returned to Anatae late in the afternoon, only to find a change of scenery : a new celestial ship hovered near the castle, colossal and of a style she didn't recognize. The unicorn bristled again, and brought her right to Cerberus's home. Much straighter than before, actually : the barrier was gone.

Favaro met her on the courtyard with urgency all over him. "Jeanne, we got a problem."

In her absence Charioce had exploded all the ships except his own and escaped, Kaisar had helped him, Sofiel hadn't returned yet from heaven and Azazel had an undead army made out of dragon parts.

She'd been gone for a mere day. How? Was this fate?

Taking it one step at a time, she went through the list. Tracking Charioce didn't work, Valeria would take days to send new aircrafts because they didn't fit the nexus, Manaria was still on the fence. She could guess herself what dragons Azazel had used, leaving one point.

"Did Azazel do anything to Kaisar?"

"He got close," Favaro said. "Kaisar's still insisting he's right to protect Charioce. He—"

"You don't have Coco."

Cerberus stood on a balcony with an accusatory glare for Jeanne. Hurried she explained what had occurred, which quickly turned her mood to horror.

In a small voice Cerberus asked, "Right. Alright. Lord Lucifer might know ... you should go to the castle. They need you there."

A little more than half an hour later, Jeanne and Favaro were brought into a newly furnished council hall. At a rounded table sat the king of Manaria, two of Charioce's advisers, Karl von Essenbeck, Reinier and Konrad, one of Valeria's ministers. Jeanne and Favaro were not offered a seat, so they stood before the table.

"Saint Jeanne, we have concerns regarding your ally, Azazel," Argus said. "As only king present, I shall speak for the alliance that binds all countries of Europa."

"I will hear you," Jeanne said, eyes on Reinier. "As my own representative and no more."

That raised a few eyebrows before Argus proceeded.

"Among the elite of Charioce were a number of dragon mercenaries. All have surrendered, some departed and a few expressed interest in joining Manaria. However, their leader has vanished and we could not find the corpse on the battle field. Three others were missing too. Well, we found out yesterday where they went : the undead army of Azazel, the highest demon lord short of Lucifer himself.

We gave the benefit of doubt and requested heaven's justice to speak. Legends appear true, he has committed many crimes, included the framing of the former captain in the Orleans Chivalric Order, Laurus Lidfard. Considering his recent actions, it would appears it is an extension of a long, long run of cruelty for the sake of evil.

You went around advocating him and his side as the lesser aggressor compared to Belzebuth, heaven put the lie to this. What should we think of you now, when you yourself have an accusation of witchcraft in your repertoire?"

"Does this justice report cite me as a witch? If not, then leave it aside. These were Belzebuth's machinations. As for Azazel ... I owe him my life, and I may have been too enthusiastic about believing he turned around. This does not alter our alliance. We have an agreement that—"

"Really? Because he came in here and took over from some other fallen angel who took our dear city hostage," Nestor said. "He has not even removed the death threat of those dreadful webs. Should we pass over that just because there weren't fried corpses every morning? It sounds more like laziness than benevolence."

"Besides," Reinier started. "If he is truly our ally, why does he feel the need to make secret armies below the castle? Jeanne d'Arc, I believe we have given you enough leeway already. Your grace from lady Sofiel has worn out, and perhaps that is why she is absent now? Perhaps she was disappointed to hear you went to speak with Lucifer behind her back?"

"I went to Lucifer regarding a missing demon, no more. As for Azazel, he has only killed his immediate enemies—"

"He is so powerful he could have restrained them," Reinier said. "You know this."

Jeanne sighed. "True. I should not let myself get lost in those details, and neither should you. Azazel surely wanted back up as much as possible to deal with Charioce, whom we expect to flee to Eibos. We should concern ourselves with intercepting him before we unravel the details of justice."

"Ah, that. And all of the sudden you have a story about Charioce trying to unleash Bahamut?" Konrad said. "We've heard those rumors already, one of the infiltrators kicked a fuss without proof."

"If that's true, why wouldn't he warn anyone?" Argus said. "He's been scrambling for funds across the years, a matter that he could have easily remedied if he'd reveal Bahamut's return and his super weapon to oppose it. Funds would have been flooding in."

They looked at Charioce's advisers, who kept perfectly still. Jeanne couldn't guess whether they knew, or did not, and didn't care anymore.

"Favaro Leone, you once fought this demon," Argus said. "Can we hear an opinion loose of any loyalty to Jeanne d'Arc?"

Favaro's face pinched into half a grin. "Maybe? He's gone out of his way to keep me alive, though I can't like, attribute that to remorse or anything. I'm still not sure why he bothers."

"So we have no testament from any reliable source that this demon will not resume his old ways the moment he no longer has to appease his human allies?"

If Jeanne boiled it down, she actually had very little herself. Just Nina when Azazel had saved her at the tower, and herself before Charioce; the latter was when he already knew she was related to someone he cared about.

The meeting sizzled out into two more hours of questioning, many of which concerned her exact actions in Valeria, and much she did not know about the hostage situation Azazel had inherited.

The unicorn chose to defy the request to wait outside the castle, and she was so tired she didn't even care anymore. The gate waiting for them just outside was welcome.

On the other side of vun gate was a random hall in the slums where a class was in session. Within it were Nina and El Mugaro, the latter whom sensed her at once and excused nurself. Jeanne took nur further away and explained what had occurred all the way from Coco to the meeting, and asked where Azazel was.

At his home, staying away from Kaisar. The scene she had first seen him at ten years ago came to mind unbidden; a distant figure more sense than sight as he threw him to his death. The memory spun towards the slaughter in heaven, and the question how many of those attackers he could have taken down without death was a lot more prominent.

Once she finished, she spotted Nina in the doorway looking rather sheepish.

"Sorry, Jeanne," Nina said. "I knew about the dragon bits and was going to tell you, but Sofiel talked about ... you know ... and I got so distracted. She has this really nice aura. She's a goddess of love, isn't she?"

"She may be to more than me," Jeanne said, bitterness too clear in her voice. "And I fear for what your demon could be."

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **October 8**

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel did not return all night, Jeanne did not sleep, and fought before dawn to focus on the tasks of the day : agreements on political affairs she understood little of, the hunt for Charioce, Manaria's tense truce, and countless concerns coming from other countries about the alliance, all topped with the complicated matter of demon rights and uncooperative gods.

It could be worse, so it got worse.

Partway through morning tasks, Mimi teleported in to inform her of a mob.

"Come again?"

"Castle staff spread it through the city : the rag demon is Azazel, and Azazel tortured to death that fun heroic dragon who joined the king a while ago."

Jeanne's mouth dropped. " _Heroic_ dragon?"

"Yep, he protected the king and he was much nicer about breaking up protests than the knights were. They liked him, especially the lot who doesn't care for the gods anyway. The rest don't care to stop them. Get off your butt and do your saint thing!"

By wing she crossed the city, finding its streets crowding with mobs. Neither knight nor soldier did anything to truly stop them as they drove demons further down the streets. One particular mob had cornered three demons still in their collars — or perhaps _again_ in their collars.

Jeanne landed between the crowd and the demons. The humans backed off, but there were knights among them too, and a royal sorcerer or two. Such overkill for three emaciated demons.

"Step aside," the sorcerer called. "These are none of your sheep. They're murderers!"

"That shall be ascertained by the courts. You are not to take justice in your own hands!"

"Huh, what court? The divine one? They don't even seem to agree whether your demon friend's recent slaughter in heaven counts or not," the sorcerer spat.

Oh no. They had heard of that too?

Where the citizens hesitated, the knights and sorcerer did not. They averted her, but came close as they aimed for the demons.

She tried to manifest her spear, only to receive air. As a last ditch she threw her wings out to dismiss the magic and catch the arrows.

Her wings faltered, and she stumbled as the magic seared at her. Behind her, one of the demons screamed.

She manifested Joyeuse to intercept the next attack; it obeyed as perfect as ever, but the golden blade had taken on a silver hue. That made the sorcerer pause, but not for good reasons.

He cast it anyway, and she broke the spell, but it spiraled aside and exploded a wall. She herself fell on her back from the impact.

"That's it, that's all she can do now?"

"Perhaps your cause is not so just anymore," one of the knights said. "Saint, or witch, whatever it is."

"They attacked unprovoked! What did you expect?" one of the men snapped at her.

"They were always going to kill us when they got free!" another shouted. "Why else would they spin those webs when they had an impenetrable barrier?"

A man shoved her aside and the mob rushed past her.

"Don't kill them!"

Her words meant nothing. She could only watched as the demons were torn apart, elderly and children alike.

 _Standing on the pyre again. She was abandoned._

And the very people she once sought to protect, now she had to stop them.

Leaning on the sword, she pushed up to her feet. She had to watch, she needed to see, and every prayer she sent fell into the abyss with the cries for mercy. The demons she'd never know, but who had known _her_ as their savior not too long ago, now reduced to charred bones and bloody stumps.

The mob dispersed, following a cry of a mansion that demons had claimed. That needed purging, they said.

She stood alone with the corpses and remembered that demons burned their dead, but surely this would not do.

She prayed for them, to Sofiel, and in general, and ran out of things to say.

It took all her gathered strength and borrowed power from the blade to remanifest her wings.

Upon her return to the castle, she nearly collapsed onto the pavement just beyond the gates. As she staggered into the gates, someone approached.

"Jeanne d'Arc? No success I presume."

Karl von Essenbeck stood there, hands clasped behind his back. He looked rather at ease, it set Jeanne in high alert.

She forced herself to stand tall. "If you have nothing of use to say, lord, perhaps direct your attention to aiding the population."

"Is that not your job? Though ... perhaps you have some difficulties. Some ... infection. Sainthood and witchhood are but two sides of the coin, isn't it? Perhaps you should rid us of that demon. Rid _yourself_ of him," Karl said. "Your holy powers have come so close before. We could use our own zommorods to prevent him from teleporting away."

"I can't just go ahead and execute Azazel," Jeanne said. "Not like this. He isn't a threat to the population, or me, or any of our allies."

"Really? And how long will that last? Or maybe I should ask, how long until Manaria and Valeria and all other countries are tired of the power vacuum? We hear Lucifer's cozying up in Valeria's mines without any invitation. A lot of people are getting antsy about how justified this war was. We wouldn't want to create an opening for the demons."

"If that's so, perhaps we should not provoke Lucifer by killing his right hand," Jeanne said. "I believe your own right hand scientist would like payment you cannot provide; immortality."

He shrugged. "It seems we both play with fire, saint Jeanne. We know what we do, but see, the population of Anatae doesn't. The other countries of the alliance do not either. And reputation is a fickle thing. How long until they get tired and _Charioce's successor_ ends up on the throne?"

She could already hear the demand she back Karl for the throne. "I believe we're done talking."

"For now. Remember, you're only a saint," Karl said as she walked off. "Worth no more than what attention either gods or humans deem fit to give you."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus set up guards, Azazel commanded his goats and zombie limbs to be prepared. The goats strayed, but the zombies did not.

They'd manage, but that wasn't good enough for Cerberus. Not anymore. She wasn't mushier or anything, but by chaos, was it unpleasant, almost painful when her jurisdiction got cut in half. The people below the barrier — the gone barrier — had been hers. However shaky it was, humans and demons had coexisted for a while. Now, what few who still had kindness for demons didn't even matter anymore. Their houses burned, the world had shrunk. A cacophony without noise in her ears, the scent of injury without it being blood.

The word _devil_ in its worst iteration on everyone's lips.

Jeanne wandered in at one point, saying nothing. She sat in a corner on the foyer and waited. Dark magic stirred around her, poorly blended with holiness through her pact, and she smelled of rot.

When Azazel stepped in, the last sound in the room died.

He was a class that never got ash on them, he could walk away, fly away if he wanted to. Cerberus wished he had done so a long time ago. She herself couldn't run anymore.

"How many died?" Azazel asked her.

If he wanted to torture himself, she was happy to oblige. "One hundred and thirty eight, give or take. The injured numbers are climbing even faster. Oh, don't make such a face. We have thousands still. It's okay. We're holing up underground. Until the Valerians and their special automatons get tired. Did you know _Paracelsus_ joined them?"

"We pay for your crimes yet again," Durahanem muttered.

When the enemy was the opinions of people, however unfair, it paid her little benefit be allied to the source of those opinions. He was the best they had in terms of strength, and it wasn't good enough.

"Hey, saint. Any input? Can you turn this around?"

"No," Jeanne said. "I only had power as god appointed saint in their eyes. I once again lack both, and Azazel just had to ... I could pass on the murder of slave traders and aristocrats because you had no options to restrain them and bringing them to court was impossible! You went after those where it mattered and a situation with no other options, but this is not the same! We could have brought them to court."

"I needed them to protect my people, there are no others armies. Should I rely on humans and gods for that?"

"Why didn't you ask me for what we could do? I knew gods and demons in Valeria who could have come. Chiron has befriended a fallen angel, and Arligau's tribe has expanded to include many strong demons — Valeria didn't slaughter the strongest in the arena. You never asked for options, you went right for the torture."

"What does it matter whether I happen to torture someone while killing them? I got something out of it at least."

"I thought you'd become a better person." Jeanne's shoulders slumped, and stood back.

Azazel scoffed. "The only thing that changed is that I spend my time better. I kill scum instead of goody two fools. That's all."

Jeanne held up her hands. "Fine, but know this : you cannot atone to the dead, and you cannot represent the redemption of your tribe to humankind. And then what?"

"I know what I've done to your people. I don't avenge on them for myself and I don't care for forgiveness," he spat. "If they demand redemption from my citizens for my actions, they have a problem."

"Well, about your people? Too many know you're the leader of this court, and Belphegor's not enough to turn things around. They need allies now and the ignorance of your past deeds that made that possible before is gone."

"About that, I actually killed three of those dragons," Cerberus said. "How exactly does that justice system work? Will they find out?"

"I don't know how it works," Jeanne said, clipped and eyes averted. "Cerberus, perhaps you should go to Valeria. Arligau and Mirin would welcome you and your people to their tribe. That way you can separate yourself from this, before it comes down on you too. The demons need a leader, you will do."

"I don't like your tone there," Cerberus said in a low voice, but Jeanne didn't heed her anymore, and outright refused to look at Azazel. "But that aside, yes, we might benefit from fleeing, too bad there is thousands of us now. And I'll concede that Azazel flaunting the tortured corpse of one of humankind's heroes didn't help."

That deflated Azazel. "I'm sorry I failed you all. I'll go Lucifer and that he act for your protection."

Cerberus couldn't stand to hear him weak anymore. Not in this time. "That doesn't fix anything. Get out. Don't be seen around us anymore."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Really, with all this drama Rita would not be getting a good, quiet work day soon, would she? The temptation to sic all her little bugs onto the human population was more tantalizing than ever.

A distraction from that line of thought came when Rachel staggered in, a familiar zombie hanging on one shoulder.

"Yo, Rita, emergency! She says she knows you."

Rachel had wrapped cloth around her infected arms, while Charioce's mother tried to keep distant from it. With some difficulty, she hauled herself onto the inspection table and laid down on her stomach. Under the clothing on her back something bulged.

"I found her wandering the streets, she says she escaped the castle. She was chased, Rachel said. "So, what's your name?"

"Klarimiani," she muttered. "At least, I think I am. I'm remembering other things. It's been getting worse since my son left the capital ... they found me a demon, though that princess helped me escape."

"I'll get that sorted ," Rita said.

"You better, you started this!" The woman hissed, literary.

"And I'll finish it too if I have to." That shut her up.

Rachel sat down on a nearby couch.

"You're staying?" Rita asked.

"With the demons? Yep," Rachel said. "Got nowhere better to go. Not so for many of the others now the barrier's gone."

"Is it now? How interesting," she said, her eyes falling to the equipment Olivia had left behind.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The nexus was guarded by Valerians who employed some demons, but were not happy to see him. He left them in the dust, but alive.

There still was a tentative truce between demons and humans as far as Valeria was concerned. They'd been _the_ driving force behind the invasion and too arrogant about it. The mine at the other end of the nexus was full of magic ready to explode if Lucifer so desired to. What foolish humans to think he was only being a helpful assistant. He had conquered the land right beneath their nose.

He found Lucifer in a holed out cave that was quickly gathering books, though nothing compared to his library. He had a rich golden couch, just a shadow of his usual throne but still elevated on an ornamental standard.

"Azazel. It sure took you a while to show up even though I was right here," he said without looking up.

"I was busy, and before that I had no way of contacting you, lord Lucifer," Azazel said. "We had to move quickly before our insider in the castle was eliminated."

"So you were not aware Cerberus had a communication beacon in the very hills you arrived from?"

He frowned. "No, she never told me. She was barely involved with the rebellion anyway. I just thought she'd been abducted like the others."

"You might have known I had sent her if you hadn't stormed out years ago," Lucifer said. "Alas, you were always too impatient. Now, there are a few matters, such as the resistance of wards, hybrids and saints, of allies with human kings, and of rebellions. And then Jeanne d'Arc somehow escapes and you become allies. Is this true?"

"Yes."

Lucifer looked up sharply. "Oh, so it must be. When did that happen?"

"One of our allies had been sentenced to slavery alongside her, mistaken for a human. They broke out, and broke me out. Favaro Leone was involved too, he still has business with fate."

"Indeed. And now somehow, we have not one, but four potential enemies? Let's see, Charioce, Manaria, and Valeria, all equiped with zommorods. Gabriel too perhaps? Was that what you were hoping for when you allied with Jeanne d'Arc?"

"Of course not, but it's where we are now. It's time for you to step up. Our people are being driven back again we need to get them out."

"And you intend to do what exactly?"

"I have an undead army," he said. "Not humans, dragon parts. Its creator is a powerful conscious zombie, and Malphas has secluded the ground below the castle, even if they build a new field atop we can get underneath it. We could keep our area fortified until everyone is out."

"Oh really? Malphas hasn't been active for a while either. Almost as hard to believe as Angra Mainyu showing up."

Dammit, how we he going to explain Nina's talent for needling people into doing stuff?

"I have more tangible allies, and more concrete plans than your implausible allies." He snapped his fingers.

In the door appeared Paracelsus. Oh come on.

"You seem to have lost one of your wards," Lucifer said. "Since he was still so eager to be one, I took him in. He's been researching how to implement zommorods into automatons for the humans and I get the impression he likes immortality more than humans winning."

"Yes, yes. A few good, silly people in Valeria hired me. Well, technically. Magnus and his Mammon are stationed there, but the Essenbecks are mainly a family of Teutoiskas. They'd like to have the throne. I'd like to live forever and see my creations put to use. Your pretty lord would like to be the one to keep the ancient magic this time, heaven's clearly not qualified. See, we have something to come together here."

Bloodshed most likely. That was why Azazel had given him a pact, the guy romanticized heroic bloodshed so he never quite design his automatons to render humans obsolete, despite being one of the few people in the world who could even craft new automatons.

"What is your intent with that human," Azazel asked, swallowing back all complaints.

"Simple : once we have a way to dismantle Dromos and found out where the original tablets are kept, he will undermine the Valerian army."

"The Manarians are around too, they have their own armies and they're smart, they'll figure out the Automaton application of the zommorods. Evacuate our people first," Azazel said.

"That would tip off we have plans. No, I'd rather keep the Valerians believing I'm a docile, disinterested king until it is too late," he said.

"What if there are no more people to get out after that? You have the ships and the power to take them away before things get worse, and it will get worse. I ... they know who I am, and since I lead—"

"Yes, about that. Are you certain you are up to such a task? Isn't it rather frivolous to make such a gesture?"

"I merely wanted to abide by the laws so we could organize our people."

"Hmm. You picked up new words," Lucifer drawled. He waved off Paracelsus, who bowed and left. "Did you pick up any new skills too, something that got you somewhere more useful than your attempt at rebellion?"

"You're right, I didn't get anywhere. But I did save a few, and I will keep doing so. If you will not help us, should I turn to the humans indefinitely?"

"Jeanne d'Arc failed to turn the tide around," Lucifer said. "And you don't seem to be very successful either. Not one ship of refugees has come to Helheimr."

"You told me to keep it a secret!"

"Indeed, but you might have worked around that if you were already out there jeopardizing yourself. Or are you also coming with stories of Bahamut's return?"

"What if I am?" Azazel spat.

"Charioce is a worthy enemy, but no fool. Why would he hide such a thing if he could?"

"Fine, then don't. What about our people? The humans would happily slaughter all our people in Anatae if it turns out Jeanne's campaign is wrong."

"It doesn't matter who died or will die," Lucifer said. "As long as those who got away are safe, which they are."

"Dammit, Lucifer, when will you do something? They won't stay safe!" He unfolded his wings to be at eye level with Lucifer. "You keep sitting around here waiting for the humans to burn out? They have millions to implant with those damn rocks! Humans have never had an advantage this strong, and Charioce escaped! He has a continent full of allies. They're not going back to docile servants of the gods anymore. We have our best chance _now_!

I didn't sit around in a library for centuries, I was out there with them. Up close for the past five years They won't burn themselves out, they'll sacrifice and build on that, just like Charioce did on us! Move now, or they'll get creative to turning us to corpses! They have little respect left to give, and once that burns up, they'll finish us off. Get off your chair and help us survive!"

Lucifer just stared at him, before slapping him with his book hard enough to send Azazel all the way to the ground.

It wasn't a magical book so it did not damage, though the sting lasted.

"Well, I might make a _statement_ ," Lucifer said. "With an army if we must. Exactly how depleted are the humans?"

"He suffered significant damages from my first rebellion, heaven's invasion, and the recent conquest. Furthermore, in escaping Charioce destroyed all aircraft of Valeria and Manaria. They will get more, but it will take time."

"Well then. I will rally our troops, and see where we go from there."

Lucifer called in a servant to relay orders. Azazel climbed back on his feet, and stayed through the organization's first phase.

Something didn't quite sit right. It wasn't anything new, but ...

Once they were alone again, he said, "Lord Lucifer, wy did you hit me?"

Lucifer closed the book. "As I said, you may give me counsel, but not with such impolite tone."

"I apologize, ... but don't you think it was too harsh a response?"

Lucifer chuckled. "Really, you must ask? In order to shut down your emotional outburst, such treatment was necessary. We are demons, discipline goes through power. Surely you noticed in the past centuries?"

Of course, but he hadn't questioned it. "It wasn't right then either ..."

"Azazel, did you say something?" Lucifer asked.

Crap. "Nothing! It's my fault–aaaaaargh!"

Azazel smacked against a shelf, cheek burning.

Lucifer drew back. "No lying to me, Azazel."

Azazel steadied against the wood. Before Charioce driving it to the brink he hadn't understood, it had been just life.

"You ... I didn't even say anything that rude, it was a _fact_."

"Indeed, but your foul tone is a problem."

"And you would call this a disciplining act too?"

"Good, you're still a fast learner. Then it is alright, is it? The preparations will begin soon, return to Anatae to inform Cerberus."

He should. He would but ... no.

No, this wasn't alright. Lucifer acted no different than the slave drivers.

"I can't consent to to how you treat me."

Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Can't you hear me, dammit? I said I can't agree to thi–"

Lucifer's closed fist sent him down yet again, the impact lesser only for being closer to the ground, but the pain ran deeper.

"You really fail to understand, huh, Azazel?"

Oh, he understood better than ever. His head pounded, but so did his anger.

Azazel climbed back to his feet. "That was a disciplining act too? You sure didn't hold back."

Almost feigning innocent, Lucifer tilted his head. "If this is not a disciplining act, then what do you call it? Your comprehension ability is lower than I expected, so I can't help but use a little force. You understood now, right? You could _leave_ , Azazel."

Can't help? Lucifer was supposed to be the true leader of hell. Azazel left to return their people to him, yet now he listened, Lucifer echoed the words of humans.

Still, he wasn't Charioce.

" …is there really a need to use a fist instead of an open palm?"

Lucifer sighed. "What are you doing, Azazel?"

"What are _you_ doing? That's not a disciplining act, that's just plain violence!"

Lucifer let go a long sigh, which Azazel distantly recognized as a warning, but this had to be said. Lucifer had to get it, he couldn't be the same as them. He _had_ to.

"You keep saying the same crap, but you've been a shut in too long. You don't even realize what you're doing, right? This hurts! Quit hitting me!"

"Hmm."

The silence dragged on, Lucifer's eyes boring past him.

"Lord Lucifer, are you finally at loss for words?"

The answer was a burst of invisible force throughout the library, sending books flying. Lucifer growled, "Azazel."

His body lost weight as Lucifer's telekinesis seized hold, suspending him in the air.

Shit. No. Not again. "Y-yes?"

Lucifer's eyes flashed gold, the way it did whenever one charged up to release his power.

"Please wait!"

"Too late now."

The fire surrounded him, he screamed from the bottom of his lungs, trashing at nothing in the air.

Lucifer tossed him out of the room, but didn't yet return to his seat. Azazel just briefly saw his eyes, still cold and disapproving, before lowering his forehead to the ground. He clenched his fists, angry at himself now. Fool to defy him. Old habits kicked in.

"Lord Lucifer, thank you."

One always expressed gratitude to Lucifer for whatever he deemed fit to grant.

The door shut before him. Inside, the muffled sound of Lucifer asking for herbal tea.

Azazel stayed with his forehead against the cold floor longer, breathing in and out until the fire faded. His flesh mended. It was done.

He forced himself to his legs, and turned to go to the armies while his head pounded.

It wasn't new. He had seen it happen to others, had experienced it before. Lucifer didn't like rudeness, but what gave? Of course hell was wilder than heaven, so of course it had a little more painful punishment. That had been normal for centuries, but now it felt too similar to the way humans drove demons. They called that discipline too.

Below his skin, snakes threatened to break out. He clamped his hands over where the holes had been once, keeping them down. He'd be fine, Lucifer was the only one not to be defied.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne knelt in the empty church, seeking to reach Sofiel and hearing no answer but the same muddled drifting force.

Joyeuse under its new name remained pure. Her knuckles turned white around the hilt, doubting exactly because of it : the sword was both holy and cursed. An intermediary state that could tip in response to her own nature. How could Sofiel be falling so swiftly? There was no reason. It had to be herself.

She should have gotten over Michael's death by now, yet it felt so much closer now she stood at the brink of failure again. Where was he? It had been a while since she'd sensed his presence. The void was too familiar, and no matter how much she told herself this was all different, the feelings crept up.

Self control was an old skill of a commoner in a world of nobility, an exceptional woman in a man's world and a obligatory pure saint in a flawed world, the images she had to uphold as much her god as Michael had been.

Someone close to Michael opened the door, and quickly closed it. Jeanne dropped her prayed to see her child stand next to her.

"You're pushing the power away. You think you're going to be made to do evil again?"

"I don't know," she said. "If I can't trust Azazel, I can't trust what he proves to me either."

She let go of the sword. "If he is like this blade, so fickle in nature, then perhaps ..."

"So let _me_ make you a saint." El sat crosslegged before her, smiling so bright it tore her from her reverie. She felt foolish at once.

"You don't think this is my doing?"

"No, I know Sofiel's sick." Ne reached out, and Jeanne folded her tainted wings forward so ne could run nur hands over the feathers. "Yes, she's sick. I don't know why that means she goes dark, but it's not you. Maybe she believes Azazel's a problem? She did disappeared right after he revealed the zombie arms."

"Perhaps." Her voice belied how that worried her; El didn't need more concerns.

"So you want to try it?"

She shook her head. "You are young and your power is best used for healing, but ... I would like you to break the pact between Sofiel and I if it becomes necessary."

"I'm not sure I can do that, I only barely learned to _make_ hallows. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. We'll try someone else."

"Past the unicorn?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The unicorn's waiting now," ne said.

A sense became strong within her mind, something she'd grown accustomed to. At the same time El's eyes widened, ne noticed too.

The unicorn closed the distance to them, and laid down with vun horn alight, bright in a sense of _finally, see me_.

"I ... maybe I can make a pact for ... " El muttered. "Or we could die?"

Jeanne's head snapped to nur.

"When I died, the abyss looked back at me. We're standing at the edge now. We're ... we don't have to die, but it's souls who wander ..."

Similar knowledge came to Jeanne's mind, once more the sensation of an pact held open for her. She just had to take it.

She turnedon her knees to face the unicorn, who raised vun horn to her forehead. El took her hand while her own wings dissolved.

 _Come and see._

Together they fell into another world, leaving behind awareness of the church, of their own bodies, even their sleep.

The astral plane appeared different. Still a field of light, but the black dome of the universe lay stark above and the edge nearby. An ocean rushed beyond it, dark waters splashing onto a shore of glimmering pale sand.

The grains below her feet warned her not to go closer to the waters, more and more urgent as she moved. She couldn't go closer, though she desired without reason.

The sand swallowed her, taking her deeper until they fell further. The sand : countless shards of zommorods, or only her interpretation of it.

They came to in a cavern, or worse. The brown matter all around was softer, more like flesh. Green light shone down from above, where countless zommorods pushed into the flesh. Horns and spikes spiraled up to the rocks, their tips supporting them from delving deeper. Everything had crusted over, hardened where there should be motion.

Despite the impression of injured flesh, the air was dry and cold — or perhaps on the impression of air, for she did not breathe. Even her sense of self wasn't quite body first and foremost. Only the idea of having to hold her child close kept Jeanne with integrity.

Aware so she could look back into the countless eyes that marred the flesh.

"Mother ..."

There was no sound. only memory the way the unicorn granted knowledge.

Still, it felt so real when El helped her stand, small hands urgently holding hers.

They'd landed in a secluded area of horns or horns around a platform. Everything beyond was chaotic and half flooded with salt water. They shouldn't go there, the bone walls less prison than security.

One wall was against a pillar, or perhaps a massive bone. A symmetrical pattern of smaller eyes around largest ones peered down on them.

The eyes were like those of the unicorn, a moment's of attention, that was all they would receive. The unicorn already the answer to a prayer, premeditated but not enough. Make her own answer, but she had nothing to craft it with.

Jeanne took a step closer, careful to keep her child behind her.

"Kujata ... " Her voice was hoarse in the growing awareness she stood upon a far greater god than she had imagined possible. "I have come for answers."

She was given.

Countless words almost in synchronization, but not quite, whispered back to her. Nothing had a meaning, understanding fell apart at the seams. For her, small grain.

"El ... what do you ... do you hear anything? Words?"

"Nothing. Just hiccups," El Mugaro said.

Hiccups? For such a grand being that couldn't be right.

Another step on the parched ground, her heart pounding. The importance shred at her mind, even though she couldn't tell why this was so.

Another step. This was all wrong, she couldn't do this further, it had to move, she had to move it all and stop being here it was a burden.

Sense and sensation were far to be found.

One more step before she could lay her hand on the ridges below the largest eye. Her reflecting was her entire life and the estimated decay soon to come, all at once. Trivial childhood memories converged with adult worries, grief over a broken toy in sharp contrast to the loss of Michael, the insignificance of her parents in light of sanctity, and the fall of heaven in her mind came together with the darkness that forced her, against the darkness she would invite, a joke about ducks, and the cruelty of fate.

Her entire life fed back as a conversation to herself and found meaningless in the greater scheme of all the world. A movement across the waters, a stagnant, rooted existence and she only a blink in ages.

If she had no answer within this, whatever else could she possible say to have a meaning? She was too young to ever grasp what they spoke of, her fleeting existence of meaning in vain, the way an ant could not matter more.

Yet, there was no malice or coldness, so she did not despair.

"Kujata!" she called out.

Bone reformed to shape human bodies around, which moved and smiled and stared so real, only to crumble. It kept going until the ground was covered with splinters and ashes.

 _A thought of fleeting life._

"I am still here," Jeanne murmured. "Kujata, don't dismiss me! Please, we are not this pointless. Hear us, and we will answer you."

Oh, but it was the gods who proved worthy and the gods who answered, and hear us should be a plea rather than a demand. No strength in relenting and sacrifice of power, not this way, when it felt she had to respect and demand at the same time. Could those even exist together? They had to, but ...

Her child. It no longer was the touch of hands on her arm, just the impression of being held onto, of being begged to return. No longer look in the abyss — oh no, not the abyss, Kujata beheld the abyss, she could never comprehend — fall apart — her child didn't look even if ne had two unique eyes, too much ...

Back in the church Jeanne looked in the eyes of the unicorn before her, finding simple compassion and hollowness. It was all hollow, nothing meant ...

"Mother, we went too far."

Now, the hands on her were real again. El clutched at her side, terrified eyes staring up. It took her long to return to herself, and to return the embrace she was given. El held onto her for life, fear having taken over.

This being couldn't be her god.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **October** **9**

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina waited in the ruins for Azazel's return. And waited. Good thing the trip wouldn't take four days this time.

Her immunity wasn't needed anymore, her reputation had tanked further now everyone knew the red dragon was Azazel's ally — traitor to her own kind now, they said — and hiding was all that was left. Don't be seen, don't make things worse. That really put a wrench in an idea that played without shape yet. She needed others for that.

Shame was a poor companion to new worries. His victim, his survivor. She rolled the words through her mind without speaking. How she had to put this together with helping the city was still beyond her.

She did not sleep well on them, so when the noise rose she stood up.

It was just before dawn, the horizon only pale and the stars bleak. Entirely too early for that row of torches marching through the streets to be a celebration parade. They all came from the upper district, passing every gate.

Far more than yesterday. She didn't bother with the ladder, just jumped out of the window to fly there as steady as she managed — which was not much, so she took the first clear roof she found and ran across is. Somehow a fire had started, and not all webs had been cleared yet.

She reached the house just in time, a stand alone still, but all up in flames. Just a few threads connected it to the nearby block.

Nina shot her whip out, pulled the thread loose, but a bit of ash blew past and the threads burst into fire anyway. Within seconds the entire block was covered with rapidly spreading fire. The wooden roofs set ablaze, and Nina could only watch helplessly.

Somewhere far away the water songs started, but it wouldn't be enough. She knew their limits, and there was no Amira to boost them.

She kept running anyway, hoping to find something to salvage, but every block was covered by now. She broke a few windows and doors to clear the path, letting people out.

"Why didn't you go into the tunnels?" she asked the first few humans.

"We can't go to the demons! Who knows what they'll do to us?" and other variants of that. She went on, but replaced her question with, "Get in the tunnels," and eventually nothing.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel was in the tunnels to find a new place for his little army when he noticed; one of his goats smelled the fire, the other saw smoke on the sky. Their connection was just barely solid enough to get the images at this distance, at first he thought they were wrong. But cries rose, and their tails detected heat. This wasn't twisted animal vision, the city burned.

By the time he rose above the slums the entire lower end was already ablaze. Humans and demons alike ran from the fire, and some mobs chased demons down.

"Azazel!"

The sound wasn't in his own ears; Nina had come across one of the goats. After painstakingly slow orientating, he found them at the edge of the slum gap, near the elevator; Nina was covered in soot.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked her.

"Helping. Jeanne came as well, but she didn't hear me as she flew by. Something's wrong with her flight, she kept almost dropping. Help me find her."

The goat near them unfolded his wings on command. "Get on."

They found her between collapsing buildings, spear in hand as she incinerated falling rubble to let people escape. The light was dim, and there was no divine projection. Just her wings flickering, and she fell — not the first time judging from her bruises.

Nina jumped, her wing unstable wings out. Using her whip she caught Jeanne, pulled her closer, and steered at a nearby building. They fell through a window in a room no yet ablaze.

He found them in a heap. Nina had broken their fall; no transformation glow so the scrapes stayed. Barely standing, Jeanne tried in vain to move translucent, graying wings.

"What's happening to you?" he asked.

"You might tell me," she said sharply.

"I already did, forgot it?"

"No, not this" Nina's wings flared, demanding their attention; and messing with their magic just enough to back it up. "I can't believe I have to point out this is the absolute worst place for a crisis of faith. This building's on fire and two of us are gonna run out of air soon."

"Right, we should move," Jeanne said, her voice already strained. Nina appeared to at least have some resistant to the toxicity of smoke, Jeanne was just human. Almost literary now.

"Yes, but you're going underground. You're not use like this," Azazel said. "Not when glued to a tainted god."

"Lady Sofiel is not tainted."

So much for her getting the point.

Jeanne started coughing. Nina took her by the shoulders. "I'll bring you to Cerberus's place, okay?"

She could only nod. At least she wasn't going to avoid demons.

Nina brought her to the ground, and called out for Cerberus, who appeared and grudgingly teleported Jeanne away. From there on, she climbed on the goat again. Taking the horns, she tried to steer. "Come on, work with me!"

"Where are you going?" he said as he flew along.

"I can't go in there, bad flying, not inflammable in this form," Nina said. "I'm gonna go find us some walls."

He did his best to imprint on the goat to obey Nina's lead, before going to his own work.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina found Divesepid and Malphas packing at the bottom of the elevator.

"Why aren't you helping?

"If I do this, they're gonna know of my power," Malphas said. "Not happening. And don't bother arguing, you can't possibly pay enough to be worth that risk. Not with all these prickly human armies."

" I don't know enough of you, though you could tell me more."

"I don't owe you that either," she said. "I once served Satan, there's no glory here in scraps for me."

"I'm bored, hit me with your best inspirational speech," Divesepid said. "I could use the diversion."

It hit Nina then and there. She needed more than just nice and rude.

"Nah, you're indifferent too. Or an existentialist or whatever it's called," Nina said. "I once debated one of those guys in heaven. I know squad about philosophy but even I could keep up cause there was no argument. Just a mood. If Satan was the same, no wonder Amira decided to just consume him. Maybe she'll eat you next, after I get Dromos floating and free her. Soooo, where's your wards? See, I got people to save."

Malphas rolled her eyes and directed her to a nearby cave, though after she turned her back, Malphas and Divesepid started arguing.

All five were still around, huddled together.

"Why aren't you doing anything?" Nina called as she ran up.

Sallador crossed his arms. "Why would we?"

"Because it's not a rumor that Bahamut's coming, and I'm betting you guys are still here cause too many folks know you got a demon pact. Right?"

"Yes," Stefano said through gritted teeth. "And I might like the magic. That doesn't mean I'm going to risk my butt out there for demons."

"Could you at least risk your butt to make a wall up there? You won't be any better off if the humans come down here. I'll fly you up. Deal?"

"I guess we could try ... "

"Great. Please don't mind my flying! Everyone else, get used to the goat."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Azazel floated over the lower ring of Anatae burning to the ground, as he'd considered doing ten years ago, just to hate it now.

Every now and then he dove down to break a wall and let someone escape, or demolish a floor so one of the tunnels was accessible again. Most humans fled to the hills though, and others into the upper ring; the walls of the upper ring were full of humans using magic to keep the wind back. A few of the surviving dragon mercenaries joined them.

He couldn't be everywhere at the same time; whom he saved came down to the goddamn triviality of not going too close to those walls.

Not until there was a skirmish at the walls did he fly closer. They shot at someone in the air, but not for long; it wasn't for pursuit.

"Azazel!"

Belphegor came flying up with Kolraun in her arms, followed by Adva and Tipa doing their best to keep Durahanem in the air.

"Where were you?"

"The castle," she said. "We tried to work on a floating island when the humans told us to leave, but I didn't realize it was this bad. Are the slums safe?"

It was hard to see through the thick smoke, but walls were going up around it. "Probably. Go to Rita. I'll find any stray demons here."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus waited in her home, surrounded by useless papers and broken contracts. Lucifer had Coco. What fragile trust had existed between the humans and demons had vanished. The Red Troupe remembered Azazel ordering Belphegor, now saw all demons as his subordinates.

When Azazel entered, she sent everyone away.

"What needs to happen for my shadow to not cast on the others?" he asked.

"Dissociation," Cerberus said. "A spectacle of it. That's not gonna be easy."

She didn't like how calm his face was.

His eyes fell on Mimi next to her, safely on her hand in puppet form.

"If he asks, I threatened your dog," Azazel whispered.

"Asks what?"

A serpent snatched Mimi away. She yelped at Azazel's claws ripped across her face, poking an eye out. "Ask why you're more obedient to me, than to him. Now stay put, _dog_."

Cerberus froze halfway to pouncing at him, hearing a very real threat.

As he walked off, she sunk back in place. Azazel hadn't exactly been fun in the past, but she didn't like where this might go.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina spent her day clearing the rubble and opening gates to the underground city. Enough humans had taken refuge there to make the government involved in securing the lower end of the city. Manaria sent water mages to join the demons in extinguishing the fire, and Valeria brought out its automatons to clear the rubble. It brought a tentative truce with not nearly enough kindness as far as Nina was concerned.

It was to this scene that the nexus in the hills expanded. The gap that the emerging armies had left now looked small as the earth split. Rocks rose above the ground to frame a massive glowing circle. Almost everyone froze to behold the colossal, tentacled beast emerge, so massive it might cast a shadow over the entirety of the slums. It put to shame all skybeasts of the human armies.

Once fully out its head hovered over the ruins of the amphitheater. A black castle stood far above the tentacles, from which a shining point descended.

"Nina."

Azazel stood in the shadows of a building. She hopped over to him.

"Is that Lucifer?"

He nodded.

"I like the big squid thingy, I bet we can fit half the demons on there. But I don't see much safe place between those spikes, and the castle's definitely too small to fit everyone. Is this gonna be a safe trip to hell?"

"It's not a rescue ship, but a war beast," he said. "Stay near, don't interact with Lucifer. Understood? I'll talk to him."

"Okay, but what for? If it's not a rescue, is it a conquest?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Right now Valeria and lord Lucifer are still allies. But he is here now and will stand for the demons. It might all be intimidation, and it will be if I succeed at changing the story," he said softly. "If I am why they see monsters in my people, they need to know I stand apart from them."

"What do you mean?" Nina asked.

"If Cerberus moves, go to her."

Azazel teleported away. Frustrated, Nina climbed onto a building to see more.

The shining figure stood atop the half built mausoleum to the breaking cheers of the demon population : a white haired angel with two white wing sets and one black set. While too far to see, he had to wear gold considering how the sun reflected. It was Azazel who looked out of place here, compared to him.

No demons were in the air save two : Azazel hovering before the mausoleum, while Belphegor approached and landed on a lower, nearby pile of rubble to take a knee. A little later a red spot appeared next to her, Cerberus also kneeling.

It was too far to hear, so Nina took the risk to jump closer across the buildings.

The plaza around the mausoleum held a small crowd, mostly demons and city guards, but also a few Nina recognized from the Red Troupe. Sarvo stood further ahead, paying close attention.

By now she was close enough to hear Lucifer's imposing voice echo.

"You start courts, take over this part of the city and manage it so poorly, you have a mob over your roof, Azazel?" Lucifer said. "Truly, I am quite disappointed with your choices. You should have handed this over to me the moment you defeated Olivia."

"I thought I was good enough to handle it. My apologies, lord Lucifer. I miscalculated."

Azazel sounded so wrong, all formal.

"You certainly did," Lucifer said. "And perhaps more. Cerberus showed up without either of her dogs. One we found acting independent in Valeria. She also seemed rather nervous about telling me you had founded a new court chain."

"I took the other dog as safeguard because she wasn't cooperative," Azazel flicked his hand, and one of his goats flew up with Mimi in the coils of his tail. She yelped as it squeezed tighter.

"Is that the only way you can resort to keeping your subjects in line? Disappointing, but then again, apparently I cannot keep you in line well enough either. Or did Martinet revive from the dead too, to spin low tales in your ears again?"

Azazel tossed Mimi away, and right then Cerberus twitched from her spot to catch her. Nina jumped off the roof and flew the way down, landed at Cerberus's side. Ignoring the eyes on her, she stood next to the shivering demoness; she held her two whimpering dogs close. Was this the point, to put on sight the contrast between sharp Azazel and cutesy Cerberus? What few human were around certainly were casting sympathetic looks to Cerberus.

"No, lord Lucifer. I met no one. I just didn't think it was necessary to go out of my way to bother you."

"Now, Azazel, we've been over this. No lying, or leaving anything out."

"I wasn't," he said so blase Nina just knew he baited. He left out so much.

And Lucifer responded by. setting. Azazel. on. fire.

Nina almost ran for him, but Cerberus held her back with an iron grip.

"Nina's, there's three goats. Don't ruin it," she whispered.

Oh. Oh spirits, he had made himself the scapegoat, and he bled snakes again.

"That's a stupid idea," Nina hissed. "It's not gonna help at all and he's just getting hurt more!"

"Stupid like you running out to argue with Lucifer?"

Azazel was on his knees now, explaining something too soft to hear, which seemed to appease Lucifer.

"Let's go," Cerberus said. "Play your part."

Not much playing needed, really. Cerberus was actually upset, and little Mimi missed an eye.

Cerberus subtly steered Nina aside so they ended up near a particular house, where someone whistled; a human Nina vaguely recalled from the Red Troupe.

He wanted to know what was going on, and Cerberus took a seat with teary eyes that weren't all a lie. Mimi got a band aid while she gave a colorful, vague spiel.

Cerberus had killed three of the dragons and had her own reasons for not contacting, but Azazel took the fall before humans and Lucifer alike so she could keep aiding the demons, wasn't it?

To Nina, _exploit cute appearance_ was a fun trick before the rebellion. Now this was spoiled too.

A little later, Favaro found them there, and she pulled him aside.

"Teacher ... is there gonna be a war?" She didn't really need to ask, but she wanted to be sure.

"I'd bet. Sooner or later these people are gonna disagree on what to do with the demons, and getting Dromos is gonna be about aiming it somewhere."

She closed her hand over her new bounty bracelet. "We _know_ where it should be aimed."

Everything was a mess of emotions, and people lacking the right information, and prejudices and retribution and twisted justice and compassion flowing down the wrong rivers. It all centered on one man still, who stood indifferent to pain as he pursued his goal. XVII had forged himself this way and would pull the entire world down with him.

Anger had been one of the very first things Nina had learned to control, lest she turn into a dragon too much. Years of practice in chaining down this emotion, her first enemy, had left it deep under the pressure of the earth. The rebellion would fail again. She still didn't quote know what to do with herself, but it was a little clearer now. What feeling to ignore, and what to put to use.

"Teacher, I'd like you to track down and gather a few people for a meeting tomorrow in Cerberus's home. We're fixing this mess."

 **· · · · · · ·**

El Mugaro peered down at a hastily gathered meeting in the massive entrance hall of the castle. A thread of conversation was far to be sought, they all talked over one another.

Lucifer's ship hovered over the city, and nobody knew whether he had any wards to send out.

Nobody sat on the throne either.

Argus, king of Manaria. Konrad, minister of Valeria. Reinier, patron god of Valeria. They all felt rather similar, detached in favor of their work. Odin had passed by before, far larger than he should be; he had hidden.

They argued with terms El Mugaro didn't understand very well until they came to the topic of crimes and heaven's justice system. Manaria's king faced Gabriel unabashed.

"It doesn't match up with a number of things," Argus said. "Either your system is unreliable, or is outright lying."

"It must be admitted," Konrad said, "That heaven has vast knowledge it does not share with us. Lord Reinier has been more forthcoming and we are very grateful, but we begin to get the impression certain forces up the hierarchy are ... an obstacle to progress."

"What exactly creates this system?" Argus asked.

Gabriel said nothing much, even though it was very long; the kind of thing El Mugaro usually zoned out of. It was the humans concerning nur, ne saw much familiar in the way they spoke of gods. That growing discontent, suspicion and resentment so common to humans in the earliest waves of an attack.

All throughout, nur mother stood by silent. Ne wanted her to raise her strong voice to reign them in, but she didn't.

When she at last joined nur on the upper walkway, she was surprised ne had even been there. Much the same for El Mugaro about Gabriel appearing along with her.

"You should not keep Jegudiel in this palace," Gabriel said. "It is far from safe."

"I am aware," Jeanne especially. "Especially now that Odin is around."

Wait, they agreed?

Jeanne leaned to be at eye level with nur. "El, dear. I'd like you to go back to heaven and heal Sofiel. Lady Gabriel will keep you safe enough. I trust you to know when to listen to her, and when not to. Stay safe."

"No!"

"Right now we don't need to wage a war anymore," Jeanne said. "I would prefer you away from Odin and come back once all is safe. Your hallows can channel your healing power."

"But they can't dissolve the zommorods! Please, I have to help! She won't let me help everyone!"

Nur mother brushed her hand over nur hair gently. "Please, El, you have to stay alive."

"So does everyone else."

"Should an emergency occur, of course we will send you back here," Gabriel said. "With a battleship as before."

"See? It will be alright. Please go. I'll explain to Azazel."

Tears didn't hold back anymore. "But ... "

"You cannot fight Odin or automatons, and you understand that Azazel wanted to keep you away from Lucifer, right?"

Ne nodded, despite everything.

Gabriel had one of her underlings open a gate to heaven. When ne looked back to nur mother she still watched, but only shortly, and guilt ridden.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The shadow of his warbeast hovered over the slums, and the castle stood high in alert. Just well enough.

He left the goats in place, but he himself better not be seen. If something went wrong he'd be there soon enough.

Just go on as always. Keep moving. Correct mistakes. He had centuries to lose, until then he'd keep trying.

When he returned to the old ruins fire was lit already, but contrary to expectations Nina hadn't broken open the food. She sat crosslegged on the bed, eyes on him intently, caught between concern and reprimand.

"You should tell me about plans even if you think I'm not of use to them," Nina said.

"Hmmph."

"Why did you do that?" Nina asked.

"Why not? It's better they keep trusting Cerberus as far as that goes," Azazel said. "She makes the perfect underdog and if the only death they attribute to her is Olivia, all the better. Chaos, she _is_ a dog."

"You hurt Mimi for this," she said. Accusation. Statement. Question? "And it won't fix the hatred for the demons. You're just the excuse they latch onto. And don't think I didn't notice you've been avoiding Mugaro before this even came up."

He sat down with his back against the bed, staring up at the hatch. Mugaro wouldn't arrive today.

Nina sat in silence for a little before she said, almost indignant, "What is Lucifer to you?"

Chaos, he didn't want these questions, but was too tired to shut her up ... or leave ... or ... maybe he did want to be asked.

She laid a hand on his arm, as if she could sense the serpents itching below his skin. "You can break one or another way. Mine by pretending nothing is wrong, and then you'll make more mistakes and stumble into tricks to keep yourself going. Or you'll just wear down to nothing."

He wished he hadn't admitted to her he was afraid of Charioce. Next she'd think he was afraid of Lucifer.

She wasn't entirely, quite, all that much wrong about that. Lucifer wouldn't ever kill him, it was trivial fear.

But it was there. Maybe as hidden as hers.

"When Charioce had me, I saw myself in him, and I hate that. But I didn't think about lord Lucifer until I stood there and he wouldn't stop. They're nothing alike, but they bear their powers down and say it's ..."

"Cruelty that he calls by another name," Nina said. "It won't get better if you don't see it for what it is, Sofiel told me something a little like that. I smiled things away, you rage it away, and then what?"

"I'll live. Charioce has done worse to me than lord Lucifer," Azazel said, and left away, _so why does this cut deeper_?

She heard him anyway. "You never loved Charioce, he can't cut you with a sword he doesn't have. So I gotta be blunt here : it's worthless if it hurts you so much. Your devotion to him."

It wasn't. It was ...

"I remember what you told Mugaro now. _When lord Lucifer broke you out, you swore myself to him and lived for him. That's been true for centuries, until Mugaro. When you failed everything and lost all your purpose, you still lived for Mugaro._ Lucifer either made you forget, or kept you from finding yourself."

Dammit, her dragon memories were hers entirely now. He couldn't argue with her on that, for if she'd been talking about what she'd been to Charioce, he'd be glad to hear her give up on him.

His fall from heaven was through weakness, nothing he could afford to relish in. She asked him to.

"It's normal where I come from." Azazel took a broken breath before he stumbled into, "Not like Charioce's realm, we didn't starve and enslave. All the physical chains were just things I owned. I was fine if I behaved. I had a temper, that was all. It was all me."

"But it wasn't, and I bet you hoped too that you could reason with him," Nina whispered. She was almost melancholic now, a poor fit to her.

"I started to excuse him too," Azazel said with a wry smile. "I told myself he just didn't get that it hurt ... "

Nina's arms slipped over his shoulders, pulling him into an embrace as well as she could.

The last resistance gone, he let himself holds her. Nina's hand brushed into his hair, her cheek against his neck. Softness had no goddamn business being this needed, it was just some gesture, and yet had his pride stand by. It had been so long.

Without pride and rage, he was left with grief in all its forms and so much clearer.

"I turned them over to Lucifer. It will be like before. That's _not good enough anymore_."

"Not yet. We won't turn them over to anyone," Nina said.

He pulled away, though not entirely. "You can't become Lucifer's enemy. Stay out of it."

"What kind of a friend and rebel would I be if I just left you with this? We'll tie all the pieces together. We'll survive Bahamut and go from there, maybe our tribes don't have to stay enemies for long."

"Stay out of it," he said again, but it lacked conviction.

"No, I won't stay out of helping _our_ people," Nina said. "I might not have lived in hell, but I am of its blood and magic, and my people have had to hide from humans for so long. I've been hunted down too, and I've survived Charioce. So things got a little more complicated, that doesn't mean I won't be here. So we're going to keep trying, together, and we'll start by bring Jeanne back."

She sounded so damn hopeful, even if exhausted. It was too much.

"Jeanne woke up already, she doesn't forgive me for this."

"Nonsense, she's just not feeling okay right now. Jeanne lived with herself when she thought she'd killed millions. She'll work with you if she can _trust_ you."

"On what exactly?" Chaos, he did want to believe she had a plan, but this was Nina. Her ideas were, well, not great.

"Knowing my luck, there's going to be a huge splash with fallout with what I'm planning. If that's the only way I can affect anything, we might as well go full storm. XVII _will_ find a way to unseal Bahamut sooner or later. If Dromos is our best chance, but fighting it here would risk ten thousands of people, then we will take the fight to Bahamut. We'll find our lost angels, we'll get an island going, we'll win."

"Tch. That sounds like a lot more than you or I know how to do," he said. He couldn't quite hope, nor say no exactly.

"Don't worry, I know a few people. A lot of people, actually."

 **· · · · · · ·**


	22. Metousiosis

**· · · · · · ·**

 **October** **10**

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Hey everyone, I need your help saving the world!"

It had been a good night. Or morning. Whatever. Drinking with Divesepid and the Smaragd Guard, worrying about nothing. Favaro had deserved this break, okay. So why did she just have to come Ninaing into his cave like this.

"Aha," Rachel slurred. "I thought we were already doing that?"

"Yes, but we're expanding the plan." Nina grabbed a rock and scooted closer to the fire. "We need to — wait, shouldn't you be on patrol?"

"Bel's gone up to the ship with Cerberus for instructions on the tribe leadership thing." Rachel cast a shadow somewhere at the entrance — ah, Azazel being all broody. "Goat guy, what was that crap about you kicking the dog girl? She never needed you to be a bitch before."

Nina sighed. "Azazel is very, _very_ bad at public relations even when he tries. Anyway, we're going to move Dromos to Eibos so Bahamut goes nowhere near the city."

"Aha," Rachel said, and then once more for good measure, "Aha ... what?"

"I'm not sure how yet, but I'm sure if we get all the skilled people together we'll make it work. I'm going to go around a bit in the lower ring, and you—" She handed Rachel a short list with names. "—can go to the upper ring to find me these people? Once you're sober."

Favaro leaned over to read the list; the leaders of three civilian human resistances plus Walfrid for some reason.

"Why?" he asked, because someone had to.

"We're making an airborne town to fly there, what else?"

Everyone just stared.

When Divesepid stirred in his sleep, Azazel snapped, "You. Get up."

Divesepid tensed up at spotting Azazel. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Helping me!" Nina said all too brightly for the madness she was spouting. "Anyway, Favaro, what does the Red Troupe actually _want_?"

Favaro shrugged. "We know they're commoners who like the king to be gone. Lots of them lost people to his harsh laws."

"I wanna talk to them," Nina said. "And I also wanna talk to Klarimiani and Anne, so you need to find Rita's hideout for us; she wasn't in her old place. We didn't even find her zombies."

"Do you still have any?" Azazel asked Divesepid.

The unease in the air didn't get any better as the answer was awaited.

"We're going to need a lot of workers for the sky island," Nina quickly added. "Zombies will be better cause they don't get tired."

"Doing what exactly?" Malphas asked, still on the blurry brink of being knocked out.

"The sky island of bits of Cocytus that we're gonna use," Nina said, before launching into wild, disjointed ideas that she was sure other folks could put together better. Favaro forgot most of it.

She was frantic, almost desperate. More than once she asked whether whomever she spoke to was sure they'd do it quickly.

Azazel leaned cross armed against a wall, altering between watching her like a hawk and looking anywhere but her whenever she glanced in his direction. Looming as usual, but kind of put on the spot too. He left at the first excuse; Nina wanted Belphegor and Trismegistus in on it. One of his goats remained behind, keeping an eye on Nina.

Nina got her way, and had almost everyone going placed except Malphas, who insisted she'd be doing more than enough during the building. Divesepid wandered off to gather a scarce few zombies, Rachel and the rest to find human allies, and Favaro was to go to the Red Troupe.

Nina herself ran off somewhere. He followed.

Curious, she stopped to look at him.

"Nina, don't forget to slow down," Favaro said. "When I say the wind blows to tomorrow, I don't mean you gotta run _as fast as_ the wind. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. I actually got to talk a bit with Sofiel and that helped. Really, don't worry."

"Eight days to get to Eibos with the fastest skybeast, Nina. Like, good for you it's not all about your love life, but don't burn up on something else either."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Vanaheimr had changed. El Mugaro could sense it before ne even went outside. The once serene, empty city had come to life with visitors from other pantheons. Ne had never seen so much diverse faces, not even during the invasion a few months ago; there were citizens now.

Despite the liveliness, ne didn't get to see Sofiel. The longer ne tried to sense her direction, the more sure ne was of her absence altogether. She wasn't even close to Vanaheimr despite the city requiring her more than ever.

But someone else was, so Mugaro tinkered with the new locks on nur room in the early morning and went for a walk, a flight, and a few more walks and flights, which might have involved a few more overloaded doors and some guards telekinetically tossed into soon to be locked rooms. Gabriel wouldn't like this. El Mugaro didn't care.

Bacchus had a rather nice, colorful room that was an awful lot like his old carriage. Ne suspected he still slept on the couch. There was no liquor anywhere though, and Bacchus all sober left a grouchier person with traces of alcohol withdrawal. Ne started quietly working against the symptoms, though the source was too much brain stuff for nur to fix. That coffee he now obsessively seemed to drink didn't help.

"Hello, Bacchus. What's going on?"

"Huh? What are you doing here? Get out before you're seen!"

Mugaro just peaked out the door before locking it using a high security code ne had seen Gabriel use once. "They can't see me if nobody can get in!"

"Ugh, fine. Sit down." Bacchus slumped back into his seat and almost poured a second cup, before reconsidering. "I got no juice or anything."

"That's okay." Ne took a couch opposite of Bacchus and pulled up nur knees. "So what are you doing here?"

"Political stuff. Odin contends Gabriel isn't a worthy successor for Zeus, who was Mortis' chosen. Says the four arch angel council should stick to advising roles and that he as Zeus's right hand should be the true king. With all the recent drama, he's finally got a foot to stand on. Sofiel asked me to sabotage from the inside out, but now she went on a damn pilgrimage I dunno what to do anymore."

"Sofiel wouldn't just abandon mother," El Mugaro said. "Not when she went to heaven to go get help. You don't really believe that, right? She must be locked up somewhere!"

Bacchus squeezed the bridge of his nose. "You're doing something to my head?"

"Yes, healing your symptoms a bit. I'm glad you stopped drinking. I'm not glad about Sofiel being sick and them not letting me see her."

Bacchus sighed deeply. "Say, kid, you know why I was exiled?"

"I heard a bit about the laws to prevent nephilim," ne said, patient to see whether this had to do with Sofiel.

"It's a bit more complicated. See, I was a descended of a different kind of god than angels are. Zeus was too. You know. Ascended humans whose soul became divine or their descendants. If we fail, it's seen as a sign of imperfect ascension. Inherent flaw. Being a buddy of Zeus didn't make it easier to depose me either. So, exile and a job as bounty god. Hamsa's different, but same idea. We did divinity wrong. Angels consider humans to have limited free will, and so all wingless gods are respected humans who surpass their limits.

Angels are born perfect and so have perfect free will. If they sin it is seen as a fully conscious choice. Angels are born at the peak and can only fall, for their defiance against heaven is perfect. Rather than an upward struggle born from striving up, any sin an angel commits is total rejection.

After Mortis died in the war against Lucifer, they were kinda short on angels, and Zeus was far more lenient, so the four archangels instilled the pilgrimage of meditation. Not sure what it is, but those that return from it swear up and low it's the best thing and will purge you from any taint. Those that don't become demons."

"But why would they do that to Sofiel?"

"I'm not privy to Gabriel's court, but there were rumors. I bet it has to do with your mother."

"They can't accidentally make nephilim," ne said.

"It's about the principle here, not the facts. That's politics, kid. Now you better get back before Odin catches you here, cause his politics would like you as scapegoat."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne taught herself to pray with her eyes open and hands down.

The first thing she asked Michael was that he not be too angry that she hoped that their child would be defiant once more, and bring Sofiel back. She did want nur safe, really, but ... the welfare of the world wasn't opposed to that. Sofiel's welfare wasn't either.

She prayed to her child, so ne would know she was alright, but also to be cautious since Charioce had escaped. Only in the vaguest way did she reference the trouble caused by Azazel's army.

And she prayed to Sofiel, find new ways all over to wish her well and try not to ask for answers. Not that Sofiel wouldn't know she begged for them.

In a whisper, she times spoke to Kujata, when fear for the future was too much.

None could answer, but there was one thing close by that Jeanne's potential could find appliance to.

Dromos was contained by a barrier of the gods now, with Valerian automatons around to ensure its stability.

Odin turned gigantic and stood in the river near Dromos. He didn't touch it, just observed. A few other gods were around, and the barrier was lowered entirely so they could attempt readings of the island.

Jeanne joined them. The wings turned gray in patches, flight was little more than levitation. She her to focus all her self on just keeping in the air.

"How did he control it?" Odin asked her, the one question that mattered the most.

"We never learned that here, they wouldn't even let us close to the machine itself," Jeanne said. "However, Charioce must be personally crucial somehow, for there were no test runs and as far as I can tell, nobody else came by except him. Perhaps I can find out—"

"So not even you know. Then what good are you?"

Odin shoved her away from Dromos, and the gods raised back the barrier around it. She wouldn't be able to get through and learn anything. To think she even wanted to.

When Jeanne landed in the harbor, she staggered into an empty hangar. Dissolving her wings, she dropped on a crate and just stared at the floor, trying to fight off the corruption. It wasn't unlike hunger, a constant craving. The unicorn couldn't heal her, because it wasn't her illness.

A gate opened before her, and there stood one of Nina's friends.

"Hello, lady Jeanne. If you remember, I am the unfortunate mausoleum caretaker whom Nina dragged into her adventures," she said smiling so brightly, Jeanne suspected it was more like Nina dragging a kindred spirit into rebellion. "She would like you to visit."

"Hello, lady Aurora. Unfortunately, I am rather busy. I will be able to come—"

The unicorn nudged her in the back gently.

Alright then. "Let me find an excuse to vanish."

That done, the unicorn brought her to a cavern with Nina in it.

"Jeanne! You're just in time for your plan!" Nina declared. "Azazel got it into his head you don't want anything to do with him anymore and way too many people think he's tainted you, right, Aurora?"

"That is the running theory, yes," Aurora said. "At least among those who adhere to the physical evil philosophy."

Nina looked over the unicorn as Jeanne stepped off. "Where is Mugaro anyway?"

"With Odin here, I thought it better to send nur to the safety of heaven, however relative that may be," Jeanne said. "Nina, what plan?"

"No good, we probably need Mugaro for it ..."

"Probably?" both Jeanne and Aurora said; Jeanne gave Aurora a questioning look at that.

"She just said we need to bring Dromos to Eibos, no more." Aurora closed her gate. "To be honest, I'm just going along cause I'm not feeling either of the governments in heaven right now. Why would you send your child there?"

"There is another reason ..." Reluctant, Jeanne manifested her now ashen wings. "I hoped ne would aid Sofiel."

"Mugaro better do that quickly, because there's gonna be lots of sick people in maintaining Dromos," Nina said.

"Hold it, Nina. Maintaining Dromos? Our best chances are to find and stop Charioce before he unseals Bahamut."

Nina shook her head. "He's got fate and the world in love with him, he'll get there. We need to protect the city from him and the best way to do is to take his main weapon towards Eibos. Teamwork time, so come tell Azazel you're working with him."

"He's not entirely wrong that I have been avoiding him. I have no intention to declare war upon him and Lucifer, but I cannot be a close ally."

"I don't really get it," Nina said. "Isn't it less bad if the people he kills are other bad people?"

"That is how it works for you, but sometimes an ideal is to uphold trust of the people more so than immediate practice," Jeanne said. "How can I ask them to trust me if I lean on someone who takes justice so far, and in such a gruesome manner? This is not a shadow's rumor, this is a statement of how he would rule. He is not merely the rag demon, he is Lucifer's right hand. His actions are taken as a promise."

"I guess I don't know much of the saint stuff. I want people to be okay too, and if he or fate or what not makes me forget about them for their convenience, then it's the small part of myself I'm going to deny, not the big part. Isn't working with Azazel gonna help more people? What if Azazel promises not to torture anyone else?"

"To be a saint is to be an example for the people. I could justify cooperation with an ambiguous demon lord for the good of all. That story has changed after he executed one the people deemed a hero. He passed no trial, and desecrated the corpse, and he did not trust me enough to tell me he was building a militia under our castle. I can't tell my people to trust him like that."

Nina sat back, pondering. "But what if we tell them why he did it and that it won't happen to them if they're not jerks?"

"Please don't think I condone what your uncle did to you," she said. "But the proper response was to apprehend him and have him face trial. I know that Azazel's mercy is limited, but if not for its own sake, then he should have done so for the sake of justice. We could have changed public opinion with a trial that highlighted what Charioce's people are like in the dark. We could have had you testify, you who also has a decent reputation with the population and even with a princess, and numerous gods backing you. Now, we only have complications."

"I must concede," Aurora said. "As much as is it is fun to hop around being rebellious, I can't go home now. My old life's done for because I've probably already been seen. The entire local rebellion lays under the shadow of doubt now."

"And you did not tell me either," Jeanne said. "So what am I to tell my people if I still cooperate with Azazel?"

A silence fell.

"So there's no way to change your mind?" Nina asked at last.

"No more than the damage done can be undone," Jeanne said. "I regret that it ends up the way it has, but it must be. As far was what you have to say. Lady Aurora, what is your opinion?"

"Well, I'm not much of a virtuous god, I merely record the many ways of death. I'd like that to go down a little. Nina thinks she has a plan for which she just needs the Red Troupe, the White Rose and the Smaragd Guard as far as the humans are concerned. Might we come up with a plan where you cooperate with Azazel in secret, would you work with that?"

"Perhaps, if Azazel will guarantee not to torture or murder anyone else."

Nina bit her lip, and thought before she spoke.

"I made some pretty huge mistakes cause of not thinking about how what I felt worked in the bigger picture. Please don't go down that road, you can sort out justice later."

Jeanne almost felt affronted, when Nina was the one she should be advising. That's what it had been up to now.

"For what it's worth, Favaro convinced Azazel not to hurt Kaisar for betraying us," Nina said. "But you're afraid, right? If there's one thing I got from my dragon problem : I know what hiding one's fear behind a front is like. Did you ever stop and talk to Sofiel about that? She's got a clue on how love stuff works, so I bet other stuff too."

"Alright. I am afraid my fragile status as a saint will be used to lead people down the wrong path. I never had to juggle my reputation, I simply had it by Michael's grace. I saw people rebel to their own death for me, and I won't stand for that again."

The words had been unplanned, yet came out so easily.

"Oh ... the reputation game, now I get it." Almost eager, Nina continued, "Have you heard what Azazel did? Azazel made himself a scapegoat, however poorly that went. And as much as I'd prefer it if people didn't hate him for things he didn't do, ... maybe it _will_ help if we blame him for your condition. Will you work with him in secret at least?"

"Yes," Jeanne said, her words faster than any well trained ethics could keep up with. "If you have a plan that can work with secrecy, I will reconsider."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Gods dammit. He'd seen the wall of his room dozens of times already, he'd see it many more times because pacing here was the only concrete thing he could do.

Azazel was bored. Of all the aftermath to emphasizing his dark lord history, he hadn't seen this one coming. Cerberus was pissed and didn't even want him to do anything for her pack thing behind the scenes. No more looming over groups and restraining trouble makers, which was at least something.

Lucifer invited him to his castle's torture room, which had some captured slavers. Tempting. So, so tempting. And pointless, and reminiscent, and it might have consequences.

Putting an army of zombies below the already conquered castle wasn't thought through, he had to admit. It just came naturally and waltzing over horrible memories had been part of that.

It was the one thing he was good at, being the evil overlord and bearing all the grandeur and fear that came with it. Thrive on fear. Olivia had offered this very thing, albeit with hatred. Maybe he could become like that regardless, get some power from that at least.

Not that that felt any more right. Whatever right might be.

"Azazel! Get your ass down here or Nina's going to try flying again!" Favaro's voice echoed up.

Nina and Favaro stood below, near his goats.

"What are you doing here?"

"Planning! Jeanne will work with you again," Favaro said. "Pretty sure it'll be fine. We're all trying to save the world here."

The world was about to end in the reign of Bahamut's fire. Azazel had to face to dreadful truths : it really bothered him this time.

And Nina looked off, wearing rags and looking serious but starting to smile when she saw him.

Distracting but only a little, really.

Yesterday had was left him with the keen awareness she knew an awful lot about him. His fears were not something he had ever planned on sharing with the world, and the realization that Lucifer, well ... abused him wasn't anything he'd ever had to place. And now Nina knew things.

Unlike himself, she wouldn't use it against him, but that didn't stop the ... the ... he didn't even know why it bothered him. Old Azazel would look at new Azazel and see weakness and Nina as something to make that worse. He had approximately sixteen ideas on how to torture himself through Nina, and no ideas on where to go from here.

Right now she was pushing a sandwich with his favorite cheese into his hands.

Favaro had sat down on a nearby boulder and was already munching on something, and Nina had covered a low rock with a cloth to put things on. Azazel almost balked at being part of a picnic, before remembering he had no dignity left to lose.

He would have stood by, except Nina poked him onto a boulder and sat next to him.

"Why are you here anyway?" he asked.

"Planning in private. You've been kinda purple around me since yesterday so I better now drag you before Cerby for that," Nina said, picking apart her bread. "And now _I'm_ self conscious. It's annoying, really."

"What happened?" Favaro asked.

"Nothing exciting by your standards," Nina said before leaning to Favaro to whisper, "Belated awkwardness about hugging."

And so Azazel discovered his goats had excellent hearing.

Favaro snickered too. Why did Nina have such a bizarre idea of private?

"Anyway, Jeanne agreed to the scapegoat plan. She's already been with Dromos and is stalling the dismantling under the pretense of trying to control it. She thinks she can convince the humans to let her try, so I'm gonna have a chat with Anne about that. Her father sometimes listens to her."

Political crap. Great. The power vacuum, the network of alliances and law writing. Gods dammit, why the fuck did this all have to be so annoying? Rebellion should be straight forward, not a bizarre chess play of hostile allies and soft spot enemies and why the hell did Nina have to look like this. Distracting.

"Your PR problem is an unsalvageable mess. Let's poke at it till we find a loophole," Favaro said.

Right. That. Let's focus on that instead.

There was no loophole, Favaro just liked rubbing it in.

Nina insisted the people needed to trust Jeanne, so they were going to roll with Gabriel's current creed of evil embodied. They'd blame Azazel and somehow that would get her close to Dromos. Fine, whatever.

Azazel let him blabber until the topic of Mugaro came up.

Jeanne had sent nur to heaven for safety from Odin. It wasn't unexpected, and probably the better—

"We should get Mugaro back soon," Nina said. "Jeanne's on board, but we gotta figure out a way to be secretive.

Nina busting through an incoming phase of gray gloomy acceptance made him all the more aware of the sinking feeling. Dammit. He hated thinking about feelings, and missing people was only going to get worse when there was hope to see them again.

"It's not safe, if Merlin senses nur—"

"About that, can't we talk with Merlin?" Nina said.

Azazel looked carefully blank, but Nina crossed her arms and continued. "I met Merlin in the castle. She thinks you seduced her to defy fate by ingenious manipulation."

"I did," Azazel said.

"Pffff-ffffft. Sure," was Favaro's oh so dignified input.

"What?"

"You know how to _set up_ things," Favaro said. "The avalanche happens on its' own."

"So what? Merlin was another easy push. You should know better than to try talking with the enemy."

"That's not better. Just because Lao and XVII didn't listen doesn't mean no one else would. But I don't know what to say to her to get through," Nina said.

Azazel thought back to his game plan. Merlin's weakness had not been apparent at once, but there was an eventual pattern to be seen.

"Good people keep good company. She carefully chose whom she served, but once she had latched on she went through hoops to justify her own judgment because how else could she be a good person? It meant she chose people she was close to over more qualified options and she'd hone in on evil advisers only if she had never trusted this person before.

During her pact with me, she justified it to herself in that we were doing the world a favor. She's not averse to dirty means if it's for a good cause. ... isn't there a word for this? Putting herself in a room and not seeing anyone outside?"

"That fits with what she told me. She pushed XVII to change things around in the kingdom because now that fate's awry it's harder to justify his actions. I think she knows something's wrong, so I want to see whether we can reason with her. I need to."

"Not by using Mugaro as bait."

"Of course not, but if we do meet her, would you apologize to her?"

" _What_?"

"Show of good will and being trustworthy. We've been over this," Nina said.

He scoffed. "It's way beyond what went wrong between you and I."

"Worth a shot," Favaro said. "As far as I'm getting, Merlin's not on a mindless revenge quest or anything for self purpose."

"Tch."

Nina had this awful, obnoxious tendency to do the sad eye thing except unlike with Mugaro, she got all close and was about to break into a smirk if she got what she wanted. "Come on, Azazel. I bet it's her self purpose thing that she's doubting about. Who knows what might happen if you throw her off balance."

That didn't connect at all. Total waste of time. He did have some dignity left. Merlin sided with Charioce, end of discussion.

"Ugh. ... fine."

Nina clapped her hands together. "Great. But we'll cover that when she shows up. I bet Jeanne won't take too long to get in one the plan, but I'm not sure about the others. Promise me you'll try not to be so ominous."

He just stared, because why even bother explaining her that was impossible?

"No glaring, wings in, sit with the rest of us at the table, and don't smile at death, but do smile at nice things. Though don't force it cause that'll stand out. And for goodness sake : us a fork if you get any more cake. First let's talk about Jeanne. Just in case she really, really doesn't want to work with you, maybe we can use your plan in a different way. Wanna hear it?"

Dammit. Patch jobs. Altruistic people striving for good shit were were supposed be _simple_.

"I might as well."

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **October** **11**

 **· · · · · · ·**

"So, he didn't curse Jeanne, but he did torture your uncle to death because said uncle did so to you, but you want to downplay the latter while playing up the first?" Anne asked. "Why on earth would you do that if he's your friend?"

"Convenience!" Nina put her her biggest, sweetest eyes. "See, if they stop thinking of Jeanne as becoming a witch because of her own failings, she can say it'd be good for her to be near Dromos. Can you maybe pretty please encourage your father to advise like that?"

"Oh, gods, why am I like this?" Anne threw hands up. "Alright. I will try."

"Excellent!" Nina gave her a quick hug before jumping up. "Anyway, what happened that made you send Klarimiani outside? Lynch mob?"

"Of the servants," Anne said. "There's a lot of people in here who despised the king, they took it out on his so called 'pet'. Some of the recently apprehended Onyx Knights were already found dead, so it felt safer."

"Sadly, you weren't wrong. Well, see you later!"

Nina returned through the portal without really hearing the answer, a tad anxious whether it'd be yes. She didn't want to think further about it.

That she avoided thinking about unpleasant things again occurred to her right after the gate closed. She slapped her forehead.

Belphegor and Azazel waited on the other side, and Nina quickly reported what they could expect, what they had to wait for, and what they they should give up on. The latter was health related; humans still controlled the capital and insisted that since the rebellion had healers they didn't need to share any medicine.

"Can we reach Mugaro?" Azazel asked.

Nina thumbed at her Aurora. "We could visit! We just need to find out where exactly Mugaro is."

"Uh ... that's probably not safe," Aurora said without looking at Azazel.

Aurora had a lot of itchiness around Azazel, which couldn't be helped. Less expected was Azazel turning heel the moment Nina stepped closer. Too abruptly. Again.

"Is he angry with you?" Aurora asked in the kind of voice of foreboding. "I may hope not ..."

"Oh no, he's just ... a bit upset. About Lucifer and gods."

That was a fib.

It must have hurt his pride that she'd seen him all upset and he hadn't sent her away or anything like before. It actually was kind of amusing to see him all flustered— oh wait, that actually wasn't new. He'd been like that when she had ... oh spirits ... nesting.

 _She'd tried to nest with him._

The memory hit her with such force she flared up in pink light.

"Nina, is something the matter?" Belphegor asked.

Only the eternal mortification of knowing she had regressed into the most cliched myth of dragons : hoarding they prettiest person they could find in their den.

"No," she said through gritted teeth.

"If you are going to transform here and now, I'd like to know why at least. Is it something we can prevent by altering the environment?"

... alright, calm down. Calm down. Now. Belphegor was aware of far more shameful secrets about her love life than this.

"So I'm uh ... lately regaining memories of my dragon life. I just wandered into one. Nothing to worry about."

Belphegor perked up in that kind of surprise ready to melt into smug understanding. Oh spirits. She remembered.

"Well, learning your transformations could be activated by crushes certainly put some things in context. The results was quite entertaining."

A twinge of sorrow crossed her, no doubt at the memory of Dante and Eligos. But she collected herself to continue, "I may hope next time you try to nest with him, you're more sound of mind."

Aurora gave Nina a very wide eyed look and pressed her lips together.

This was an ideal time to make herself as scarce as Azazel, so she did.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita went on a fun little trip to Eibos with Jeanne and her weirdo horse to see Charioce's splendid concealing mist. Really, it put her own to shame.

 **· · · · · · ·**

With his reputation in shambles, Cerberus didn't want him involved in management anymore. Having nothing to do, Azazel holed up in his ruin. His too quiet ruin now. Mugaro had of course never talked, but it was company regardless. The moving of feet around the place, the rustle of pots ... dammit, the quiet should not unnerve him.

Near dusk, Nina slipped into the back of the ruins. Wings in and cloaked up, she almost succeeded at hiding in the shadows.

"Azazel?"

He leaped down the tower, and wasn't about to admit that was out of impatience.

"I'm done for the day," Nina said. "Tomorrow there's a meeting with all my friends and Jeanne will be there, but I'm not sure you can talk. Maybe if you show up early? Oh, and Mimi says there's indication Charioce isn't heading to Eibos in a straight line. He stopped by an allied city for repairs to his ship, the locals refused to arrest him when notified by Manaria."

Figured.

Without prompting, she told him how the day went before blurting into, "Teach me more about telekinesis."

He might as well.

Boring, repetitious crap, and Nina was a slow learner. Her wings knew better what to do, getting her hands to affect the same required the same over and over.

He expected her to make it a game at some point, but Nina was uncharacteristically serious. Every instruction she followed. Every time something didn't work for her, she'd say so in short words.

She'd replaced endless laughter with determination, _his_ thing. It didn't feel right on her.

His goats got restless, and approached for attention.

"Want to try something else?" he asked, nodding at them.

"Can we just focus on this?" Nina asked.

"No, it's boring." He just sat down and summoned his goats closer. They were alert to him when around, but otherwise acted like animals. Skittery ones, they still didn't trust humans as much as they should. Throughout the day he often gave them small corrections of what situations they should and should not fear, but with the limited connection there wasn't much to do.

Or to keep them from getting dirty. They had no fur, but all kinds of crap got stuck under their scales and in their wings.

"Help me clear them while you're here."

Nina grabbed one of the brushes and tried her best on a wing.

"We should name your goats," Nina said. "Should we call this one Aza and that one Zel? Or Zaz and Ael? Eza and Laze?"

"Just say Azazel and I will hear you," and he meant _what the hell no_.

"But they aren't quite you, they're like Cerberus's puppies."

She was somewhat smiling by now, so he didn't argue.

Nina scratched one of the goats behind the ears, and he felt that at this proximity. The urge to resist telling her how to scratch better was hard fought.

"Can they levitate anything?" Nina asked. "Oh, and if they get hurt, would you just feel or, or does it also damage you?"

"I might feel it when mentally linking," he said. "Why?"

Nina hovered her hand over a spot on the goat's back. A sharp twinge got the goat to bristle and jump up. Unperturbed, Nina backed up, closing her hand around something.

"What did you do?"

Nina held up a thin, broken needle. "I think they lost some stuff in there while experimenting."

"I meant how you got it out."

"Duh, I figured out the levitation thing. It really is all the same, flying is just holding ourselves with it, and it can also break when we hit things hard enough. So we should be able to grab things inside other things too."

Nina was hardly the sort to wander into those conclusions.

"What is happening with you?" he asked.

"Nothing! I'm just preparing myself. For when I have to face XVII." She stood up, dusted herself off. "Can we continue now?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne always stood _before_ councils, authority and judgement. Never as part of it. One day she'd like to change that, but for now she flaunt that authority with lies.

"He may be sowing discord in an attempt topple the government while we infight," Jeanne said. "My goddess has already retreated into meditation to find the cause of the curse, of which the presence should not surprise me. It is a time honored tradition of the wicked to target the saints."

Such words sounded dreadfully arrogant to herself, and she would never have uttered them if not for the dire situation. That being that Argus currently represented the alliance and she needed him to look at Valeria and have Reinier nod along — _he_ suspected Jeanne was playing, but couldn't say so out loud.

"You believe Azazel actually wants to break apart what currently benefits the demons?" Argus asked.

"He has led me to believe he was supportive, but perhaps you have heard of the recent conflict with Lucifer. He sought to ensure his own position, no doubt. Perhaps I have outgrown my use, perhaps he changed his mind, perhaps it was a scheme all along. Perhaps even he is not the cause of the curse. Perhaps another shapeshifter such as Gilles de Rais goes around."

And there the lie fell short, because if the future was to hold, she didn't want to condemn her best ally forever. They could check Azazel's crimes of course, but it was more the image that mattered for now.

"Alright. It may indeed be best to station you near Dromos, if not for its security, then your own," Argus said. "You said you had fellows from that island who you wanted to take?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita had expected a submissive patient like before, but Klarimiani had gotten noisier and demanding. She wanted to know what was going on, where her son was, what the war was about and at last, she remembered Furfur dying and wanted to know how Rita had even held Furfur's soul.

Rita showed her the marble.

"Why did he let you keep that upon arrest?" Klarimiani asked.

"They didn't," Rita said. "I got it from ... what does it matter?"

"Yes," Klarimiani said.

"I don't care," Rita said.

" _Why_ do you not care?"

Why indeed. She struggled for fact.

Favaro and Trismegistus need a high ranked insider to ensure they did not run into guards when rescuing Rita.

Klarimiani had escaped from the castle because Nina had a royal friend in there.

Yet Klarimiani who got into the fully guarded castle that had been _rebuilt_ since her last visit, without aid.

Presumably.

Now she had all this information, the holes stood out more.

most of all the tiny soul sphere in her hands right now. Try as she might, she didn't remember where she got it or knew how to use it.

The biggest hole was tangible.

Klarimiani tapped her foot, waiting.

"Nishaol had infiltrated the castle and ... " Rita frowned. "This is weird."

Not the only thing that actually didn't fit together now she forced herself to consider, holding onto slipping thoughts.

Nina had been inside the castle to ask that princess to take care of Klarimiani, teleportation had been possible then. Klarimiani had no reliable memory though, so she opted to investigate teleportation possibilities.

Rita didn't find Aurora, but someone passed on the message so the goddess popped out of a gate before her laboratory at a point of her own choosing. A rather frilly affair who didn't have time for tea, which was fine for Rita.

Aurora couldn't tell her more about how Klarimiani had gotten in or out, but her eyes fixed on the soul sphere as Klarimiani played with it.

"You know what it is?"

"An imago container. I have a reservoir of them to host unpolished blueprints."

"I used it to put Furfur's soul into that zombie. I'm unsure why she now has memories of that demon, that wasn't supposed to happen."

"It should not be able to hold souls at all!"

"Interesting."

Maybe it was time for experiments with memory.

She just needed a few more human hands, so she sent out her mosquitoes. After Aurora was gone, of course.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **October** **12**

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar sat quietly behind crude bars, head down. Shame radiated off of him, but she couldn't tell whether it was for the right thing.

"I wish I had your resolve to kill your beloved cause he betrayed you," Nina said. "How did you do it? I have actual evidence mine did everything he's suspected of."

He looked up startled, as if he hadn't even heard her approach.

"Hello, miss ... is there anything you needed?" Dry, practiced aversion.

"I'm rebelling still and I'm getting better at it. We're not sure about you though. They'll come to question you in a while. Please be honest. For our sake, but also your own."

"I might still die, don't I?"

"No, I meant for your spirit. For mine, I need you to tell me how you managed to blame Favaro so much you could murder him."

He didn't answer.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina puffed up the last pillows, then stood with her hands on her hips, purveying her domain : a cave pretending to be a home with disjointed furnitue stuffed in, a fire for boiling tea, and some bread, ham and cheese she'd gotten last minute. Felicia and Tasro were around the room setting up everything.

This was as good as it was gonna get.

Jeanne entered early, in her new clothes. Nina had gotten both herself and Jeanne some nice local clothing, nothing fancy.

"To what extend are you friends with these people?" Jeanne asked, peering around the empty room. "Are you casual aquaintances, on the level of invitations to dinner?"

"Don't worry about that," Nina said. "Just do your noble saint thing."

Nina handed her a little list of names.

"They are so many ordinary people ... " Jeanne said. "Are you to support a knightdom?"

"Nobody on our sides does nexuses, so we're gonna need a small town for all the work and food, and you're not going to labor over Dromos alone," Nina said. "No way. Using Dromos once has a cost of an eye, but if we divide the cost over say, fifty people, I bet everyone's just gonna get crow's eyes or something."

Getting the master zommorod off of XVII was a question she couldn't face yet.

Rachel and the other Smaragd Guard arrived first. Belphegor had reported them to Lucifer as human allies, but since he already had Paracelsus working for him he hadn't been interested. They remained a ground force protecting Belphegor's clan.

Anton and the other constructions workers who'd pacted with Malphas arrived next. Dietlinde grudgingly sat in a corner with Felicia and Tasro.

Marcio shuffled in carrying a package that smelled of cake, and soon after, Emeline and Burkhart entered.

John and Augustin came with Aurora, who left three more times to bring in a few members of the Sacred Circle.

Rita brought along Alex and John from the White Rose, the former new to Nina, a wiry, sharp man.

Sarvo Harnak entered with four guards. He was the guy who had the best shot at getting a foot down now that different humans were in charge.

According to Favaro, Sarvo had been a barber within the castle working directly for Charioce. He had connections with a number of the staff who were less keen on the way the king did things, and with the Black Troupe, though they were not open allies; snobbery and economy stood in the way. Which was just fine for what Nina needed.

Of the demons, Belphegor sent Durahanem, Kolraun, Adva and Tipa, but Cerberus only sent Borashne under the pretense she was taking inventory. Now Lucifer had acknowledged them as tribe leaders, they didn't openly mingle with the citizens anymore.

Humans and demons inevitably separated in the cave; the only ones relatively in proximity were John to Adva and Tipa; their cooperation on the healing field to thank for that. Now she just needed to establish similar ties between others. Getting everyone to be friends wasn't gonna happen, but they could be convinced of the need to cooperate.

She stood on the tall side of the cave floor, where everyone could easily see her.

"Hey everyone," Nina said. "Welcome to project world salvation! Today we're going to figure out how to defeat Charioce and then Bahamut."

Rita conjured a projection usually used for monitoring heart rate; hooking it up to some of Olivia's tech allowed one to project different things. Right now, it was an image of Eibos as remembered by Jeanne. Probably. They still weren't sure how it worked, but it had the mist and ray she'd seen.

"With the god and devil keys within, Bahamut has no true bindings and was only temporarily dissolved by Favaro's tangling it all up. Charioce has worked to conceal the imminent return of Bahamut, and intends to lead it to Anatae in secret. As you can imagine, Bahamut needs just one fireball before Dromos is charged up and everyone in Anatae dies. We want to move Dromos to Eibos.

Mister Sarvo, I would like to arrange for everyone here to get jobs in the castle, and once there, work with Belphegor and her court so they can begin building a ship to take Dromos away from Anatae." Nina turned to Durahanem next. "If we were to move Dromos to Eibos before Charioce gets there, what do we need to make a small town to float there? Full of staff to control Dromos, of course."

The room met her with silence.

"Once more with a little bit extra enthusiasm?"

"No magical creature we could make would be immune and strong enough to move the entire thing," Durahanem said. "Lady Belphegor has already taken an interest in a floating island using the plunder from Cocytus, and I'm sure lady Cerberus could manage the cooks, cleaners and other crew we need. It won't be a town so much as a factory or warship. Schedule is of vital important, and if you want staff with those damn infective things you need a health crew.

But within the timeframe you put, while the capital is occupied by Essenbeck, Valeria and Manaria?"

"Never mind that!" Sarvo said. "What proof do we have of this? For all we know, you want to lay the foundation for overthrowing humankind."

The field flickered to tech Nina herself had seen on the island to maintain Dromos. A lot of distrusting eyes went to Jeanne, who took the cue to step into an empty space before Nina with the unicorn.

"You may see so for yourself," Jeanne said. "Here is a gate to Eibos."

The unicorn opened a gate for them. With a poke, Rita altered it to make the other side indirectly visible.

"It's the same kind of mist I cast over this city a while ago," Rita said. "It obscures all senses of those who inhale it. There is also something that would affect the radiance of Bahamut's return so gods and demons can sense nothing."

Sarvo said to Jeanne, "Why didn't _you_ warn anyone?"

"I have tried," Jeanne said. "Between politically volatile situation and poor trust, I have failed. You must understand : we cannot explain how Charioce is even blocking the emanation of Bahamut. No force in the world is known to be able to do such, so Gabriel and Lucifer have no reason to believe in Bahamut's return, but we can show you something is happening at Eibos."

At her word, the unicorn opened a gate, and Aurora opened one of her own.

Sarvo turned to his people, speaking in hushed voices. Eventually Alex of the doctors volunteered, along with three of Sarvo's trusted men.

They went through.

The others expected Jeanne to continue, but Nina found it time for a bit of grounding. She nodded at Rachel and Durahanem, who quickly stepped up.

"That's Durahanem, who's currently representing Belphegor since she can't make it; Lucifer's having her do tribe master business," Nina said as she stepped aside. "And Rachel, who was a slave in the work camp that built Dromos. She also works for Belphegor, but in the security department. They're gonna do the management of our Dromos island."

Nina let a silence fall, waiting for the inevitable.

"What about the rag demon?" a human asked, which caused a rush of voices. The name Azazel fell a lot.

"Let's deal with that right now!" Nina whistled, held out a snack (they had Azazel's tastes except with more veggies) and one of Azazel's goats darted in. It ate from her hand easily enough and she scratched it behind the ear. Leaning over the back, Nina let the snake tail curled around her. "Magic likes to give fitting forms to people. This is one of Azazel's uh ... children, a _scapegoat_. Cause you're wrong about some things, but bearing sins is a thing he does."

The stares given to the goats mixed from mild curiosity to utter dread.

"What about heaven's justice system, is that wrong?" Sarvo asked.

"No, it's true, but I bet you saw lots of branches in his case. He doesn't bear the sole blame." She snapped her fingers, which was Favaro's cue to shove Kaisar in.

Kaisar didn't make eye contact with anyone as he sat down on a chair near Nina.

"This is Kaisar Lidfard. His lieutenant tried to murder me a few months ago and he never even reprimanded him," she said. "But he apologized for that and now we're doing greatish. I think. Kaisar, you met Azazel before, tell us about that."

He did, in his own way. Death of his family, much detail on how he should have appreciated them less, and how Kaisar had decided not to hate Azazel.

"Who's the scapegoat?" Nina asked him.

That stumped Kaisar, before he said, "Azazel used my father as scapegoat for fun."

"He did it all for fun, but it was _the king_ who did the scapegoating." Nina faced the crowd. "This is what we mean. Azazel's got a lot of criminals to be better at killing, but Charioce has countless more on direct orders. Kaisar here's someone you want to like cause he's got all the glory and name and hair gel. You don't see what else is going on."

Nina leaned on her goat and poured years of practiced levity into her smile. What she next said was true, what she communicated in every other way a lie.

"He's got it worse for the king than I did. I get it, he's really pretty, and the king hasn't tried to murder him or anything like with me."Nina flicked a finger at Kaisar. "Anyway, he just let the king escape with the bracelet we need to control Dromos. If we don't do anything and Bahamut breathes Anatae into dust, but the world isn't destroyed? Please take him to court."

Azazel arrived almost on cue; albeit less cued in that Favaro had been.

"What are you doing with my goats? And why the hell is Kaisar out here?" He stayed mostly behind the corner where the group couldn't see him.

"Intervention to help your public relations problem." She dragged Azazel in by his arm. "Everyone, I'l like you to introduce to our other bad team mate. So that thing with scapegoating means that what he did before Lucifer was deception so you'd all hate him while thinking Cerberus is cute and innocent so you'd keep working with her. Taking the fall. Obviously that's a ridiculous idea cause how easy is it to find out Cerberus also has a body count now the gods are opening up files? Right?"

A few of the people behind Sarvo looked terribly embarrassed.

"Oh. Just so we are crystal clear, Cerberus just acts cute."

"And Azazel only pretends for the world that he corrupted me," Jeanne said. "My illness is of another cause, so please do not reveal this."

But few listened, because they had a deeper concern. Nina heard it build up and dread it, and indeed.

Emeline raised a hand. "Nina, dear, about that ... those rumors about the red dragon and the king ... Was that you, acting?"

Nina couldn't help but cringe, but still faced her.

"No. We met each other by chance; he likes to keep a close eye on the city, and before I joined the rebellion I made a show of my strength. It went from there. It was ... innocent for a while. Before the slavery and attempted murders." It sounded as flippant as she wanted, even if it felt so false to her. "Once we found it, we tried to use it to our advantage. Perhaps he did too."

That was an overstatement, but in all of the world, she couldn't go sound all uncertain and love struck about a tragic romance right now. He liked her for himself, that much was true.

"What does such even matter?" Kaisar said. "It is not appropriate talk for this situation."

Durahanem gave him a profound glare. "Not appropriate because it doesn't matter, right?"

"She's a virgin," Augustin said, and everyone stared.

Oh spirits please stop.

"I just see it somehow. Ever since becoming a hallow of the holy child, I can see markers of sanctity such as these near people. Virgins always have a ribbon around their waist."

Why were people like this?

"Nonsense. I'm not seeing anything like that," John said. "Virginity is a social construct with no factual basis. How would one even define it? Just penetration, or —"

"Nina, why are you glowing?" Emeline said.

Nina well into discovering that actually, her brain could still get overloaded. Embarrassment this time. "I'm trying to _not_ transform because this is really none of your business!"

That carried enough growl to quiet the room.

No good. She forced a smile back on her face and said, "Look, all of the rebellion messed up, myself included. And so did all of you."

She forced the light further down and took stock.

Azazel's wings had come out, ready to fly her out if it was needed.

Everyone else stared, tense for the both of them.

The room had veered out of control so quickly, she herself couldn't add to that.

She unfolded her own wings. "Sorry, everyone, I'm just having magical trouble cause I'm half demon. I'll have to glow for a little. So back to Azazel, I'm not going to pretend he'd not a murderer, but ..." Nina started ticking off her fingers. "... so is your king, and his knights, Favaro, the former captain of the Orleans Knights, all the humans who organizes the amphitheater, all your neighbors involved in the slave trade and ownership, a whole bunch of your customers, and so on. If Azazel and Cerberus are deal breakers, you have to do the same for the criminals on the human side. Which guess what? The easiest way to do is to work against Charioce right now. You don't have to interact with any of the murderers on either side."

"Shouldn't we try reasoning with the king first? Maybe now he's no longer at the advantage, he might cave," one of Sarvo's guards said.

"Ha. You'd fail, he doesn't wanna. It's true I had a relationship with him. I tried. Charioce would rather have that thousands of his own people die than so much as spare a breathe he deems weak."

She wished she could've told herself that once.

"On that note," Jeanne added. "We do not ask you to be on friendly terms with these two demons, let alone forgive them. But we can assure you they have been our allies consistently. We share this common goal of fighting Charioce, and enough good will exists that I can promise you will not be harmed by them."

"Yeah." Nina crossed her legs and leaned on her hands before she casually said, "Just don't go torture and murder demons, and they won't do it to you. Right, guys?"

"I've made that clear enough already," Azazel said. He'd reverted to unreadable and standoff ish, but that was better than angry right now.

"We're not asking you to be best friends with him, or forgive him," Jeanne said. "But we can assure you these demons have been our allies in this cause, and have no reason to subvert these expectations.

"Exactly. Don't provoke Azazel and you'll be fine. Kaisar will probably protect our side, but if he had to choose it'll be the king, so don't trust him too much." And as she switched to stage whisper. "And just between us, if Azazel's being annoying, he really likes cake. Appease him with cake."

"Stop that."

Nina pushed a nearby pillow in his face. "Try chocolate."

"Just so we're clear, nobody else do that. It's strictly a Nina and Mugaro thing," Favaro added in his stage whisper.

Azazel threw the pillow away. "Will you shut up about cake already?"

Favaro just hopped over to Marcio. "This guy sold out Azazel to the knights and I'm sure you all know he was the big attraction in the amphitheater and look how fine he is after jut paying Azazel some cakes."

Azazel quirked a brow. "The cake demon's a human?"

Nina solemnly folded her hands for Marcio. "My condolences to your dignity, for this is now your nickname forevermore."

Azazel just looked away, so Nina took the opportunity to pull one of the goats half onto her lap.

"By the way, Azazel can mentally link to them, but usually doesn't. If they're eating paper, it's not Azazel in control and you should be careful. They didn't have a fun life in the castle so they're nervous around humans."

The other goat was in fact eating paper right now.

"Make it stop that. Too much paper burned up already," Rachel deadpanned.

Azazel still sat in his place, flanked by his goats, looking entirely too ominous. There wasn't any way to make people less anxious about him. The best she could do was distract them and lean on the fact he wasn't going to hurt them in particular. And truth be said, it didn't feel like enough. She didn't want them to hate him, because ...

Why, exactly? She liked people, she liked for them to get along, she liked it for herself and for her friends. It wasn't truly fair, she supposed. Humans and demons alike had plenty of good reasons to hate him.

Had she been at Charioce's side, would fate have her reason like this too? The thought horrified her.

Jeanne mingled into the group the moment cathedrals came up, along with her early admiration for them and what ideas she'd had for people to all find such secure homes. She was easily loved because she earned it.

Favaro blended in with Sarvo's people, pulling Kaisar along to mumble insider information on the castle. Durahanem took to her role as organizer again and sided in somewhat successfully.

Borashne started taking stock of potential allies, their capabilities and willingness to cooperate, while Mimi wandered around the room listening and pretending to be a dog.

John introduced Adva and Tipa to the rest of the Sacred Circle, vouching for their cooperation.

When push came to shove, Nina couldn't ignore other people anymore. There was one more issue to address, but that wasn't for the whole group, so she joined the bundle where Sarvo was.

"We also need a pilot for Dromos," Nina said. "Kaisar, is there a spare bracelet?"

"Nobody but the Onyx Knights and Chabrol von List were aware of it," Kaisar said. "Should the king die, the Onyx Knights have instructions to secure the bracelet at all costs and bring it to Chabrol, followed by a whole plan on how to keep that dude intact. They've got no real back up for Charioce, they were betting really hard on him being the perfect candidate. The entire network of staff is centered around it, hundreds of people to ensure he has smooth sailing."

To her surprise, Sarvo said, "Staff? That would explain the drain on certain funds."

"You mean you have evidence?"

"Not directly. But as you can imagine, Charioce XVII's concept of economy is disastrous," Sarvo said. "Other countries have advancing their military, craft and economy in vast strides, the brief benefit Charioce had from selling slaves would soon run out. He has been making cuts everywhere and relying on donations of the nobility to make up for it without ever providing an adequate direction of the money. Furthermore, we've been tracking where certain workers go : vanishing without reprieve to some unknown location, even though their families continue receiving money."

"So there might be civilians in Eibos?" Nina asked.

"Belphegor has sleep darts," Durahanem said. "That shouldn't be a lethal problem."

"We should distribute those. So what now ... eight days to Eibos. I think we can find some other ways to help. There's time to learn." Nina spun to Trismegistus, who sat far behind. "Everyone, how about pacts? Immortality and magic in exchange for working on a ship for less than two weeks, how about it?"

"Immortality and magic in exchange for a risky plan that will get the entire alliance of this continent on our back," Sarvo said. "Most of us are quite content being just humans."

It doesn't an outright dismissal, but a wall that she had to climb. She looked at some old friends.

Athias spotted her from across the room; she'd informed him earlier.

He stepped to the center, drawing attention.

"I and my colleagues already have pacts with Malphas, we can vouch that it's safe." When that got skeptic response, Athias shrugged and said, "We're fine. She's cranky as hell, but other than being paid in magic and poking at earth with it, it's pretty much like our old job."

To emphasize, he set his hand on the ground. With some concentration, the earth twisted into a vaguely artistic pillar and collapsed the moment he let go, causing him to chuckle. "Yeah, well, I'm actually a painter, ask those guys."

Anton had a more impressive feat, conjuring an archway detailed with relief. It remained steady even when detached of magic, prompting some applause. Anton rather like the attention, so he started on a table and then customized chairs that turned to thrones. That alone got the attention of both humans and demons, enticing questions of how they could rebuild Anatae better.

In the distraction, Favaro took Kaisar by the arm to return him to his cell, saluting Nina as he went.

Marcio raised an uncertain hand. "I'll try."

"Great!" Nina hopped down her perch to peer at the demons. "Uhm, you work with bread and that's like a plant, and you form stuff, so how about Kolraun?"

Kolraun looked positively startled when pointed out, and shrunk away. A shy okay followed.

"He's a plant master, kinda shy, never murdered anyone, very sweet person. He won't make you super powerful, but he's versatile."

Kolraun had never made a pact, so Nina drew the circle for him.

Azazel tch'd before getting up to literary kick the circle into shape, before back off.

Kolraun had short nails, and the pact passed rather mundanely; a few in the crowd found it disappointing.

Upon instruction, Marcio tried to grow a plant, just to the get tiniest weed. "It ... uhm. Get better with practice."

Nina choosing Kolraun wasn't just about bread, but more so that the guy was just so anti intimidating while still visibly a demon. Marcio didn't take long to try again.

When the group mingled this time, it was more relaxed. Getting magic was awfully tempting, and watching it too. People actually started taking more food to relax as they watched.

Nina was content, but could feel Sarvo's lingering doubts. He acted on them soon enough.

"You're gathering a working castle, or cannon fodder?" Sarvo asked. "What are the defenses? Other than him and his monsters."

"We don't have an army other than mine," Azazel said. "Charioce has been systematically killing the strongest demons. If you learn quick, your pacts can be used for self defense though."

The humans went dead silent at him, not so much as giving a word.

Nina said, "The demon division of the Orleans Knights is around, right? Or ..." Did Lao and his friends kill them all? How many had Charioce already sent to their deaths?

"A number of them is among the knights who requesting to work for me," Jeanne said. "Though protocol does not allow them to mingle. I've not yet been able to persuade them otherwise, especially after my ... hypothetical taint. Though, perhaps we might employ Arligau and Mirin and their clan. Since Valeria doesn't slaughter the strongest demons, they have many strong members."

"How would we get them here though?" Nina asked.

The portal to Eibos shimmered again before they figured that out.

Alex and the other men stepped out. Panting, they faced the room.

"We found Eibos full of distorted space. Gravity is off around a pillar of the zommorod's power," Alex said. "Surrounding Eibos is a powerful magical fog that twists the senses of a much more intense variation than the one that afflicted our city."

"It's true we cannot be certain whether the king is attempting to unseal it soon, but there isn't a sign of the gods," John said. "I believe he would risk us as he provoked the gods into war."

"Right. demons or not, we should act on this," Alex said. "Even if that means working with Azazel. If our safety is guaranteed, I will bring in my people and resources."

Nina grinned. "Then we're set. Let's talk about who gets pacts."

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **Oktober 13**

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina showed up at the upper district's revamped rathaus, early morning, poorly slept and in singed clothing. Perfect for Nina's goals, not so perfect for the poor desk worker at the receiving end of Dietlinde's temper.

"—honestly, you have no idea what I have been through. I have been falsely accused, even though I was abducted for experiments by those disgusting demons, and now you tell me I have to wait five weeks for a court date? Unacceptable!" Dietlinde hollered so loud, everyone else in the room paid attention.

Nina, playing the role of dutiful daughter, patted her on the shoulders. "Mother, please, you'll only make it worse!"

"And another thing!" Dietlinde continued. "You're telling me I don't have a daughter while she's standing right here? A while ago there was a little fire, you twatty self might've noticed it? Her files were burned, but she didn't. I am not going to wait for five weeks to get a hearing, and you want to send me into custody while my poor daughter starves on the streets?"

While this went down, at other ballots more human members of the rebellion had their files checked, a few of them legal, others tweaked a little by Mimi teleporting in and out to place actual missing files into the register. Some of them to match the masks Trisgmegistus had given them.

"I ... well, I really cannot help you with the court date, but perhaps we can help you with your daughter if you can give adequate due for her not being registered in the capital."

Dietlinde provided the most juicy dramatic sigh, and Nina thought some very inappropriate things to summon a shameful blush.

"Look, my girl got involved in the red light district, okay? It was poor association, so when we cut her off, she just went ahead and registered herself in that awful place."

A light dawned on the clerk's face. "I see. Perhaps her files were lost among the demon registries. Honestly, you are lucky she is well. There have been cases of humans being used as slaves, you know. It happens."

As Cerberus had guessed, Charioce's regime didn't run so very smooth when people were afraid to report errors to superiors.

"We'll just issue her a temporary file on behalf of demonic interference. Please proceed to the next room, so we may check you for curses."

Checking for curses involved a doctor and a mage. Dietlinde was diagnosed with throat burns on the inside, and pretty soon the prior clerk suddenly reported that she was indeed viable for asylum at the castle on behalf of the Essenbeck family, and would she perhaps like one of their lawyers?

During her own check up, Nina suppressed her magic as much as she could, and hoped it honed in on soul type. A bit of goo was on her face too to alter her contours, but luckily only her eyes were checked.

"Clear," the man said.

Once they were through, they loaded onto a cart towards the castle : guests of the alliance, using the vast space to host the good citizens that had lost their homes.

She squeezed Dietlinde's arm, and grinned. _Good job_. That got a grumpy sigh, but the woman was pleased enough to get to use her anger; and probably the reward she was promised.

Sneaking into the castle on false pretenses again. This time though, it wasn't so grim. XVII wouldn't be there.

 **· · · · · · ·**

A natural mist surrounded the island this morning. Birds in the distance and cold black rock against her back, Jeanne found a fragile moment of peace where it should be impossible.

Within a narrow, empty lane, she laid the back of her hand against the machine, finding it slumbering but thriving in ways nobody could see. The humans mulling around the island saw a lifeless magic rock, she wished it could be the same for her. Everything El Mugaro had told her of this sick thing indicated it was nothing worth praying to, yet she did. Not in words, not in thought, but in spirit. She had come to know it silently over the years, rejecting it each time.

She still did, in a way, but it wasn't on the hatred for Charioce anymore. It was the way Kujata did, to reject it, to remove it, meant to take hold of it.

Rachel found her still like that when she arrived later that morning.

"Never thought I'd be back to this damn thing," she said. "You okay?"

"As much as I can."

Rachel dropped a large bag. The rest of the Smaragd Guard had smaller bags that they started to unpack. They set up cloth against the sun and wind, while Rachel's bag stirred.

Out popped Rita, Hamsa and that animated hand; Rocky if she recalled right.

"Belphegor wants us to do a few more experiments with these," Rachel said. "And Rita wants to figure out how to help Rocky survive."

Rita tapped the zommorod while cradling the hand. "It is taking him apart, so consider that a priority."

Hamsa had come along to speculate on soul nature, taking along a modest little test to see whether he was immune despite being born into a mortal form.

He wasn't.

"I'm still a god's soul, you know. Not a hybrid, we could've seen that coming," he huffed.

"Just being thorough," Rita said. "I would like to know what causes the immunity to seek the cure. It's hybrids and pacts that do it so far, yet not you? What are we missing?"

"Souls," Jeanne said, herself not sure why she was so certain now she'd seen this.

Hamsa rubbed his wing over his chin. "Hmm, as reincarnation as I am would fall in the saint category on function, but on the god category in soul. I'm a pretty unique situation. I used to be a god of luck, you see. Not a bad thing happened to me, till I was reborn as this."

"So it's not blood heritage?" Rita said. "That might add up. I rarely handled abortions and know less of those who kept their hybrids. If it's soul, gestation may be the difference. I'll check in on finding hybrids of demon mothers. For now, I have another experiment."

After checking none of the other humans had wandered closer, Jeanne helped set up said experiment. She managed power levels and neuter overload.

Rachel and company sat around the circle Rita cast, trying to control the black matter.

Jeanne set fingers around the hand's zommorod and pried it out using Joyeuse. It sprang away, clattering over the cold surface, but remained connected to Rocky through thin threads and strong power flow that Jeanne could not breach.

Rocky twitched closer to the rock. Jeanne shattered it, but the shard and Rocky still moved closer. The hand started disintegrating. Rita grabbed the larger shard and shoved it to the flesh. As this happened, the smaller fragment stilled, no longer begging to be return.

"We'll find some other way when your child is back," Rita said. "There there, Rocky, hold on a little longer."

El Mugaro finding out a new way might be all there was left. The laws of magic were so insufficient.

Jeanne summoned Joyeuse, just to slip the shard into the same subspace as the sword.

"For later testing," Jeanne said. "Right now, I believe I should try introducing you all to Kujata."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Mugaro reconsidered. Being a naughty child was the best. Maybe not steam ahead with wars, but all this breaking down doors and sneaking around was rather fun. Right now, ne was inside the old office of Michael, which Gabriel had ordered to be locked down but preserved — she had trouble getting over their deaths.

Michael's password was the glow of the red eye. Most of the information on his computer was boring law stuff, but soon ne found reports of cooperation with Raphael on exiles. No coordinates, but Mugaro pretended to request a transport and got into the flight routes. From there on, ne got the coordinates to Dudael.

The map was easy enough to read, the numbers meant nothing to nur. The map would have to do.

Mugaro spent an hour or so reading up on divine visions before focusing very hard on the leyline of Augustin's prayers.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Favaro really had no good luck getting drunk because that priest guy insisted he go around and find everyone for a divine mission.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Jeanne arrived in the cave by unicorn gate. Messier than ever, her divine armor had dulled to gray and her wings smudgy gray.

Azazel waited in the corner till she was done greeting her human allies, and dealt with Belphegor and her instructions.

Jeanne approached him once all were gone. "I believe we have matters to discuss."

"Hardly. You knew precisely what I was," he said.

"I did, but with the experience you were kinder than before, perhaps I deluded myself you were better too. To what degree was I wrong, Azazel?" Jeanne said.

"No murdering anyone without checking for the political ramifications. Did Nina get that right?"

Jeanne gave a perfectly stoic, trained nod. Almost too well, considering she turned around and started fussing with whether or not the Smaragd Guard would be able to deal with angels. Still all perfect in his display. Damn human.

The coldness between them remained.

While the unicorn and Aurora began opening gates, he finally joined the group.

"Don't let it get to your head," he said to Jeanne.

"I'm not," Jeanne said. "I have been through any potential chism I have with the—"

"I meant your thing Sofiel. Pay attention or you'll forget about the rest of us."

She gave him a weird look. "I just went over the strategic elements of the ordeal precisely to avoid needless trouble. How am I forgetting?"

"Cerberus said you were in love with her, don't play dumb."

"You know better than to underestimate my dedication to my duty. Whatever may go down, I am first and foremost a knight."

Oh, what did she know. People in love became these all consumed fanatics with their obsession, walking into Dudael? Ugh. He could only hope she was one of the better cases, but to some degree lovers always screwed up.

Romance was bullshit meant for breeding that got people to overvalue someone as the center of their universe, and once that crap was over and got into perspective, it looked so stupid.

Gotten a lot of fools killed.

Hell, he'd been one. Thank chaos he got over it.

 **· · · · · · ·**

While everyone busied around, Favaro sneaked off into prison, just to find Belphegor already there.

"Yo, Bel, haven't seen you in a while. Here for Kaisar? I was just heading there to complain to him."

"Hello, Favaro. No, I've come for tactical support," Belphegor said. "Azazel told Lucifer he's going to invade Dudael to prove everyone he's not the cause of Jeanne's corruption, I am making the tactical call to supply my Smaragd Guard. I can only hope it does not backfire. I was actually looking for you, lord Lucifer would like me to bring you along."

"Sure, why not? Lemme just get in a word with Kaisar for now. Wanna come?"

The cell was just another cave with some metal bars crossed through the middle. A smart person might escape, but Kaisar didn't appear to have tried at all. It reeked of sweat and poorly built sewage, the food had been untouched. Kaisar sat slumped over against the farthest wall.

"Hey there," he said lightly. "How's martyrdom for Charioce?"

"Not wonderful," he said, just as lightly. Favaro was used to such air, but for Belphegor it landed on very different earth.

"That's it? That's all you'll say even now? Why are you so desperately devoted to him?" Belphegor blurted out. "I need to understand. We're risking our lives when we could have imprisoned him and forced him to reveal his project by sheer need. How many more must die before you give up on him?"

Oh yes, Belphegor absolute had been hovering around the cell area for an excuse. Favaro took a chair and sat back.

"Hey, hammerhead. Be courteous and explain the lady why you're like this. You owe her that."

Kaisar took a deep breath and sat straight.

"I almost killed Favaro," he said through gritted teeth. "I was so certain vengeance was right, only to learn he was innocent and—"

"For fuck's sake, Kaisar," Favaro said. "You were hunting, these guys are defending themselves."

"Don't you yourself always say it's better to look ahead, to tomorrow?" Kaisar said, more tired than frustrated. "We must take build a future on something other than hatred."

Belphegor said with remarkable self control considering she was a scientist, "That is not how building works."

"Yeah, and that's not how my quote works either," Favaro said. "Thing is, I can afford that in ways demons right now can't. I just go from day to day, live in the moment, no great causes, and that's easy except when it's not. Too many times my horse had a problem and I couldn't pay for a doctor or blacksmith cause I'd thrown away all my money. It's simple, I didn't plan once. Doesn't mean I ain't gonna fight to survive now, or that you gotta shape your whole life by my old motto, or your murder attempts."

Belphegor slapped her hand to her forehead. "I can't believe you still have the patience to give him that much words."

She still had that restrained seething, but Favaro heard something in Kaisar that he liked to prod at, so he said, "He's just hung up on the man and thinks it's gonna get him something. Honor. Glory. Names."

"It's not about getting something in return," Kaisar said. "Devotion to the foundation of a solid kingdom And he is ... he wasn't a bad—"

Belphegor slammed the door on her way out.

"Man, doesn't that spiel get stale? Let's skip it and see what's at the end of your failed knighthood."

Kaisar looked almost hopeless, opening his mouth a few times before he finally said. "There's just me."

"Nobody else? Too bad, I wanted to hear about how I, savior of the world and almost slave and victim of your dear king, fit into your new modus operandi. I'm actually trying to die, in case you didn't notice." Favaro grinned all along those words.

Kaisar breathed heavy, as if he had to struggle against what he said next. "How can you not be angry with me for hunting you for years?"

"Now we're getting somewhere." Favaro just grinned. "I bet my previous answers aren't enough then?"

"Azazel said you'd played along to give me a reason to live. Sometimes I wish you _had_ defended yourself against it," Kaisar said. "In words, I mean."

"Would that have worked?"

"If my causes are always wrong, what's the point or pursuing them? You might have gotten me to rethink my ways. I can do that, you know!"

"Bla bla bla honor and moral purpose. Look, I don't wanna play your self pity thing again. Your causes suck cause you're too busy with your own honor shit. How about you talk, to me, about what you can do? You were going pretty well helping us break Rita out."

Kaisar put his hands through his hair, which'd long lost the gel filled shine. He didn't answer. No shouting, no retaliation. With Kaisar, that meant progress.

"My father and yours both had wildly different ideas on how to make the world a better place," Favaro said. "As is it is, neither of us have followed those footsteps. I know that, but you? You're still pretending to be a noble knight.

And you know you're not a knight cause you're so damn compassionate. How many drunk nights did I hear you blubbering about the legacy of your father? Come on, stop pretending. You wanna follow my lead on not being grudgy? You gotta embrace that you're shit too. And your king is shit, and he's going to kill a lot of people by bringing Bahamut to the capital. We're all shit. I bet you know this, so why is it so important to prove you're not vengeful anymore? It can't just be cause of me."

"... it isn't all, but it started with _you_."

Something in the way he said you had Favaro pause.

"I almost killed you over something so stupid and you just acted like there was nothing to forgive! Didn't our friendship mean anything?" Now he looked up with the indignation Favaro was used from him, but Favaro had nothing more than another grin.

"Still thinking about yourself, eh? You know, there's one thing I'd have liked from you, but you're too high up the conservative ass. I bet you were taught to hate that too. But not the king, and you only care for what, two demons now? Could you at least think about keeping those suckers alive?"

"And for you, you dumbass! I can't be like that again when I almost killed you over it!"

Hearing him say that was a lot more fun than he'd expected. But Favaro wasn't that nice either.

"You almost got me killed with your unconditional support of your king too, you know." Favaro leaned back. "You should've joined me and Amira helping, but she took one look at you here and said not to trust you. Too bad. I almost missed you."

"It's not how I can live my life."

"It's how a lot of innocent people die. Y'know, the kind you're sworn to protect?" He stood up. "Anyway, right now, it's the eve of Bahamut. I've got a lot of new buddies. You're either with us, or against me. Pick what you like, I'm used to either."

Kaisar fell back into one of those brooding silences, and didn't look at him anymore.

Favaro actually wasn't satisfied with this, but he pretended he was and didn't think about it again.

 **· · · · · · ·**

There was a lot of paperwork that Cerberus was messing with so anyone who asked didn't ask too far. She didn't get any of it, but hey, that's who she'd asked others for help.

One of Sarvo's people here, working in the kitchens. There, a doctor had moved into the refugee quarters too.

Nina pretended to be just a random human eager to not be bored, so she took on a job in the laundry unit. Like this she snuck around gathering people's clothes on the surface, and helping out the project in secret with her super strength.

The hangar was still damaged from the fight and a fair chunk of the outer wall of the castle was missing. Nobody seemed in a rush to fix it. Good. They'd have to break open all of this floor to get their island out and there was only so much room for the skybeasts to maneuver. She'd need to ask Malphas about the best way to help breaking the rock down, once she was a dragon.

Well, if. She still had no reliable way to trigger her transformation. That magic eluded her, but she had something else.

Amid the strange faces, it was easy to recognize a fellow infiltrator. She just knew. Sometimes it almost was like seeing little flames over the head; maybe this was how Aurora saw her stars?

When Nina got washing duty, she left the castle perimeters to the riverside with other women. There she spotted a black feather next to the path. One further down, meant to lead her along, but she didn't have to follow it. A little flame was aside of the river, far into the undergrowth.

She went to the river, worked a bit, excused herself for a pretend bathroom break, and found Azazel waiting behind a batch of rocks.

"Took you long enough," he grumbled.

"Hey, I have to keep my cover! What are you even doing here? You could be seen."

"I'm going to Dudael with Jeanne. Mugaro got us the coordinates. In case anything goes wrong, go to the gods, not the slums."

"Got it. What's Dudael?"

"Sofiel is captive there," he said. "The dungeon below the mountains where angels are sent to fall."

"Won't that be hard for you, going back there?"

He smirked. "No, not at all. I'll like getting back in there to shred it."

An act of confidence, she was pretty sure. He hadn't been fine in the arena ... though that's when he had his heart. Maybe it was different with Dudael.

"If you're in there and it starts to hurt, don't lie about it, okay?"

She couldn't read the look he gave. Maybe he himself was confused.

Before she could figure it out, he'd dropped into the river, swimming away below the surface.

Restless, she returned to work, waiting for tomorrow to be over and them to be back safe.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **October** **14**

 **· · · · · · ·**

The unicorn's gate opened in a crevice next to the mountain. While Jeanne and the Smaragd Guard came through, Azazel flew up to scout.

The empty desert all around hadn't change, with its scarce but thriving life to mock those few who managed to look out the windows.

He swooped over the mountain. The hole Lucifer had been patched so seamless there wasn't even a sign of it, but he remembered.

Breaking back into Dudael had been a distant plan once; to break out fallen angels the way Lucifer had done for him. Going here for a holy angel? What had become of him?

When he landed, the magic around the mountain braced enough to electrify, but it didn't attack yet.

The unicorn jumped up, carrying along a perturbed Jeanne.

"She is here, the unicorn can tell," she said.

He just nodded.

The animal went to fetch the others, while Jeanne peered around.

"I don't understand why she would be sent here, rather than just chastised or exiled like Bacchus," Jeanne said.

"Gods like Bacchus are seen as ascended humans, always struggling against their flawed nature, ever upward. Faltering is expected. But winged gods, the true born of El Elyon, if they err it is seen as a conscious choice of defiance. A _perfect_ choice, just against the order of the almight god. There is no redemption for angels once they fall. They kick us here to make it go faster. Only a few pull back."

He tapped the rocks again. "You ... unicorn ... whatever you are. Make a gate circle right on top of this to destabilize the barrier.

It did so. Azazel flew up, spread his wings far above and speared down at the mountain. Impacting on knees and claws the rock cracked, but didn't collapse yet. The circle glowed harsher.

The rock started to mend, but he teleported back up and hurled himself down again. This time the cracks were wider and the unicorn expanded the gate. Like a veil that was torn wider under resistance, Azazel repeated three more times before he could pull the rocks loose.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Favaro probably shouldn't have drank so much, because he was still here on Lucifer's ship, hanging around with Paracelsus and his experiments. Or was. They sent him off at some point when he was summoned to the castle.

"Yeah, I was just helping Paracelsus experiment on how this immunity thing works," Favaro said. "His boss really wants to know."

To the minister of Valeria.

 **· · · · · · ·**

A loud creak had Kaisar look up. To his utmost surprise, there _stood_ Allesand.

"Hey there captain. You don't look so good."

"Your legs ..."

"They got all better thanks to this!" He raised his shirt and a black wrap below, revealing a zommorod embedded in his solar plexus.

"No! It'll destroy you!"

"We'll just take it out later, like with you!" He grinned nervously as he looked at Kaisar's missing hand. " _You're_ fine."

"That's different. Listen, my hand didn't regrow at all, it was the same hand I lost. My friend Rita revived it. That rock is still embedded in Rocky."

Allesand had been listened with growing horror, only to burst out in laughter at the last word. "You almost had me going there, captain. You just happened to name your reanimated hand Rocky? Come, on. Glory awaits us once we save the kingdom."

"No, only death. This city is not safe, the king will—"

"Bring Bahamut here, I know now. Don't worry, captain. All these fools will see his worth and come around. They'll realize the error of their ways. Now get back to the castle, that Essenbeck guy's looking for you."

 **· · · · · · ·**

The unicorn leaped down silently. Azazel landed next to them just as quiet. The rest of the Smaragd Guard got a lift through a gate the unicorn forged from the inside.

The hall stretched out cold and dry, with rays of light from windows they hadn't seen from above.

"This way." Azazel started walking one particular way, the unicorn followed.

"Could you go around here freely so that you could memorize it?" Rachel asked.

"No. Sofiel will be that way."

"How can you be so certain? I cannot sense much in here, everything is crowded with magic," Jeanne said.

He sighed. "There's sections depending on sin."

If she was smart, she'd stop talking. Then again, there wasn't a lot he could do to stop her from asking.

"We'll spread out," Rachel said. "There's guards, right?"

Azazel nodded. "They're not great fighters as they double as concierge, but when the alarm is triggered so stronger angels can gateway in. Not being seen is more important than taking down as much as possible. Getting Sofiel out will be noisy, so clear the area."

"Got it. Folks, spread out."

They left, while Jeanne and her unicorn followed him.

They rounded a few corners before the encountered the first guard machine, accompanied by a scanner and an angel. The unicorn raised a dulling field around them, keeping their energy hidden.

Awfully useful, that creature. Why had they hidden until Mugaro came around? What was it anyway. Unconditional help from heaven. Nothing he'd known before.

Eventually they hid in a crevice to wait for a passing cleaning machine. That's when Jeanne lost to the temptation to ask. Just half a sentence, _why did you ..._ before she changed her mind.

He could just be silent, brush it off with need for silence. Lock it out. Lock it up. Hope Sofiel wasn't a snitch.

Maybe she'd read it in his files one day. Jeanne finding out like _that_ bothered him, so the words escaped. She wouldn't mock him for it, at least.

"I fell in love with a human."

"Only such a transgression? You entire fall for ...

"That is enough for an angel to be damned. It's also easy enough to hide as a Watcher if you're careful, but I took it further with rebellion."

"That's ... " She trailed off in thought. "I expected something harsher from you."

A scathing laugh escaped him. "What, you thought I just felt like rebelling one day? Rest assured, I killed a human or two down the road. A few gods too."

That should've been the end, yet Jeanne asked, "What was this person like?"

He considered whether to answer that at all.

Maybe she wondered about her deal with Sofiel more judging him. Hell, she probably was the least likely to do so.

"She was an exceptional human ... that's how I justified it at first. We'd been sent to help protect a city against a demonic plague. She was some nobleman's daughter tasked with entertaining us in down hours. I taught her how to wield blades and handle make up better, and ... it doesn't matter. It didn't go anywhere."

She was somewhere out there, still alive perhaps. As an angel, he'd turned her into a hallow. When he'd returned, she had not wanted to do anything with a demon or the life that brought. Maybe she'd noticed he hadn't felt anything for her anymore.

Missing her was his first cue his little amputation didn't stick the way he wanted. By then, there wasn't anything to do with it. Serving Lucifer was grander, running amok on the world more entertaining. Desires for some fair maiden to hold were pale next to that.

He didn't know whether she'd only favored him in particular cause he had an interesting set of talents, and time had gone long past the point he cared to ask her whether it'd been more than that. They had parted as strangers.

That thought had always satisfied him, to have been above it. He suspected Jeanne and Sofiel's story would not end that way though. Rebellion had come to mean something very different recently, in a world where darkness wasn't the mark of sin anymore. Jeanne wouldn't let go from the look of it.

"I never regretted my fall away from those sanctimonious bastards," Azazel said. "You shouldn't either."

That guilt right there she might not be able to let go of either.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Malphas's team was reconstructing floaty rock to fit together into an island, under the pretense of preparing things for transport. Technically the rock belonged to Cocytus, but heaven was prickly and wanted to ensure none belonged to heaven. A handy bureaucrat loophole. Nina had very little to do with it other than stand guard and sometimes move a few rocks so Mimi's file shifting matched with facts.

The game was to pretend they were moving the stolen matter to load away, while bringing it all into the ruined part of the hangar. From there on Malphas and Belphegor designed a way to put it all into a giant sky carriage, but it took some forging of stuff into pieces. Nina walked around here pretending to gather laundry for the workers, and smuggle around maps, rocks and instructions.

The most annoying part was pretending to be weak, and now her friends were doing something dangerous, her mind wandered. In the past hour she'd almost slipped up and lifted something a human could not.

That was how she ended up in a storage room absentmindedly stacking pea bags. A knock on the door sent her current bag flying as she whirled around, caught ...

There stood a man with long hair under a wide black hat, somewhat familiar.

"Might we have a word, miss?"

"Wait, you're one of the people Azazel revived," Nina said.

"The name is Athos. I believe we have met in passing," he said.

Nina braced herself. "Before you _abandoned_ us."

"Pardon me, but I abandoned a ruthless murderer whom I only contracted with for the sake of my kingdom," he said. "I had no idea I got myself into worse, but now that better job opportunities have presented itself I have taken them. Surely you of all people understand that this king is good at making first impressions."

She looked down. "Yes, that's true."

"Now that Manaria, Essenbeck and Valeria are in each others hairs over government, I've had trouble deciding where to put my lot. I wondered where Jeanne d'Arc had gone, could you lead me to her?"

"Nope, Jeanne's on a mission right now," Nina said.

"Well then, might we have a word about my former employer? You must understand I have a lot of reservations about alliances when Azazel is ... how informed are you?"

"I have a pretty good idea," Nina said. "Spirits, we've had a lot of trouble cause of it. Wanna talk somewhere less crowded?"

"Gladly."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel fought off herself to return to who she had to be. One loss of another. Hell's blood would destroy her. She had lived once as a faith bound angel, surely she could do it again, yet the threads always slipped when Jeanne inevitably came to mind.

A human, a mortal whom she had known such a short time compared to the centuries. An ideal, words from Michael and images from afar. Was she older, if ever, perhaps she would look back on all of this as foolishness.

And yet, she kept looking back.

As a god her duty was to care for all life, to have such favor for only a single human was unfit. She began to see it anew each time, but couldn't feel it.

She still looked back, and hell was around Jeanne.

In heaven lay the answer, but who would she be then?

There was no right answer either way, so, ... faith was closer.

Faith was easy, if she bypassed her blockage.

The answer lay before her : see Jeanne as the enemy now. The temptation. That answer it offered, now.

How long she struggled with that she didn't know, but the final tick came when the wall exploded.

Dull, she stared at the figures who struck her as absurd. The world wasn't ever supposed to be like this, Jeanne with a demon and with cursed humans.

Jeanne ran forwards, pulling her in an embrace she couldn't return quick enough, or at all. The chains held her down.

Human hands ran over the darkened patches of her hands and her withering wings. "What is happening to you?"

To Sofiel's dread, Jeanne's own wings had come to mirror hers.

"I tried to align myself back to the ways of divine faith," she whispered. "I am sorry, I could not return to you as I should."

"Don't be ridiculous," Azazel said. "You're not a rebel. You've got some other divine shot going on, this is happening too fast."

"It is happening in accordance to my effort. I must get out as soon as possible and take my place in heaven, for the world and you," she told Jeanne, though irritation with Azazel kept itching

"You need to do nothing with faith," Jeanne said. "Hold still."

Azazel sent his serpents into the walls anchoring the chains, tearing loose a huge chunk. Jeanne helped her stand up, but barely had Sofiel taken a step outside of the area or the world violently flickered, and she herself and the broken floor were teleported back into place. Not even a crack in the rocks remained.

"Dammit, this worked last time! Sort out your mind, I don't know how to undo this."

Jeanne's worry grew almost desperate, Sofiel hated to see her this way. She couldn't ever hate her herself.

"Only faith can move the shackles," she murmured. "Only that leads the righteous path."

Azazel barely registered, until he snapped in the most annoying way possible, "Then just stop believing in that crap!"

"I can't just stop it! This place obliges by purification alone. Surely you know. Had it not been for my ... attachment to Jeanne, maybe I could have."

"Pfffft. That's not your problem. Just tune down the romance goddess crap for five minutes."

As if it was that easy! Sofiel felt like hell, but being the goddess of love, romance oriented more than anything, made Azazel ignorance so grating.

"Not my problem? What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're not acting like it at all. Even Jeanne barely does."

"Then what did you expect it to look like?"

"It encompasses everything about your thoughts, it's the most important thing and everything else is secondary. If you can still think about throwing her away to be a proper god, you don't have it."

He had to be kidding. He had to.

"You speak of limerence," Sofiel said. "To simple it down for you, that is more obsession. Thankfully that is not the only—"

Sofiel crumbled together as her wings spasmed out, turning darker. Her skull began to bleed.

"Please, fight it," Jeanne said. "How can I help?"

"She's falling," Azazel said. "And she's pathetic for it. It's not supposed to bleed."

"Why?" Jeanne said. "Why would she even turn demonic over divine advise?"

"Some divine advise. Don't ask me, I didn't program this place," Azazel said.

"It is a spell," Sofiel whispered. "A prayer. One only leaves when truly faithful."

"Can you be faithful to something else, or must it be Vanaheimr?"

Jeanne sounded so desperate, Sofiel wanted to give another answer.

Before she found her breath, someone else gave it. "Vanaheimr."

They turned to the voice in the door opening, where Urlain stood. "What even brings you here to disrupt such a sacred challenge?"

Azazel smirked. "You see me and need to ask?"

"I had hoped for better from Jeanne d'Arc. The stories going around continue to be contrary, that cannot be good."

"You'd be Michael's successor, wouldn't you?" Azazel's sword flickered into his hands. "How fit you begin by putting the competition out of the way."

It'd been Gabriel, and there were three spots and only two candidates. Sofiel knew as much, but was too tired to argue.

Those infected humans poured in, throwing around faulty versions of their accursed power.

The fight that broke out felt almost trivial as the greater binds pulled her back to the argument that begged her to consider heaven.

Jeanne stayed close, unable to wield her sword for anything but dispersing wayward attacks. In the rush of green and black beyond, the angels slowly gained the upper hand. Azazel was powerful, but Urlain had experience and control of Dudael's very walls, and less interest in avoiding to harm the humans.

Her people as they were now, and the magic began to say she could correct this as a god of faith, destined to stand atop the world, one of four.

Was this fate, then? They had crafted this magic as a prison, or fate was speaking, and neither mattered.

Urlain fell down. Azazel held nur down while facing Sofiel. "Make up your mind already! You're either a demon or a god."

No, the choices were just burning darkness and cold light. Neither worked for her.

Jeanne stood up, facing Urlain, while the other gods lined around them. They saw a hostage in their leader. Perhaps he was, but they had a few hostages of their own in the weaker humans. Most of them stood in a circle around Azazel by now. An upper hand that'd fall apart if anyone tried to leave.

Jeanne must've figured the same, for she tried reasoning.

"Lord Michael advised me to tell you he wishes that I am aided in my quest to unite the realms. He still believes in the old order, but I cannot go this way anymore. Not now I see what you do to Sofiel. How can you stand by when she is torn to pieces? She cannot be either a god of faith, or a demon of hell." Jeanne stretched her arm at Azazel. "And him? Do you choose the most straying angels to push over the edge, or do you sincerely believe spiritual torture leads to salvation? Look at him, look at lady Sofiel. Heaven makes its own villains."

"Heaven has preserved the world where it would have fallen to chaos in the wake of Bahamut," Urlain said. Old, practiced words become hollow.

"Don't be ridiculous," Azazel said. "They didn't decide that. I would have turned on them anyway. They're worthless, dressed up to pretend value. It's the way I fell I hate. I wasn't give a chance, they just put me _here_."

Jeanne turned her eyes to the ground. "I see. Yes, you probably would. If there is no right answer ..."

No ...

Jeanne cut the top of her palm on her sword and pushed a zommorod in. "We take a third road."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar told them the rebellion had moved into the castle, and couldn't figure out for whom the guilt he felt even was.

"That girl! If I had succeeded that day, none of this would have happened," Allesand sputtered again. He'd been pacing the room.

A few of the Orleans Knights and Onyx Knights had united around a vague plan to ensure the king's return to Anatae would be as smooth as possible. They wanted to target the rebellion, and Kaisar was to inform them who the key figures were.

He named Azazel and Jeanne and Cerberus, whom they would already know about. They wanted to know about the girl he'd smuggled into the kingdom, wanted to know to what degree he was aware she'd been a trap of that sort. The Orleans Knights trusted him to have been deceived, had truly meant to trap the rebellion, the Onyx Knights didn't.

As the former outnumbered the latter, he let the lie go on. Feigned ignorance, leaning heavily on his imprisonment, and even the Onyx Knights had to concede that he had protected the king plenty of times.

Not a single code of honor broken. Kaisar didn't know who he was, but he saw himself in Allesand a little now. Poor boy, driven to gain honor rather than live it.

"You are too focused on that girl alone," Athos said. "Keep your head clear, we will get to her as soon as we know the risk and circumstances."

"She's the one who broke my legs! She almost ruined my entire career, my life. Just like with the king," Allesand blubbered, turning to Kaisar. "You agree, right, captain? It all started with her, back in that day when she attacked you on the street. You agree, right?"

"How would you even know it was—"

"I met her in the brothel, that black demon almost killed me. Then they convinced Cerby to cover for them. You know I lost all my good credit after that? The rumors even reached the upper circles!"

The mantra of _vengeance causes only more vengeance_ played through his head. It tripped over itself now. If Azazel had killed Allesand back then, Allesand would've been replaced by someone less aggressive. Probably. It was all an empty gamble.

Athos took Allesand by the shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. "Quiet, or I'm sending you back with Kaisar."

Kaisar finished drawing out a map of the underground that was more or less useless. He wasn't sure whether it was the girl he left to die, or Allesand.

 **· · · · · · ·**

It was sickness that tore into her in ways where Kujata was merely unsettling. But she pushed through it, forcing the power of the shard into her sword, setting it ablaze as emerald. At last, potential more purposeful than a conduit alone, more of herself than even when Sofiel had blessed her.

At once she slashes it sharp across the angels, cutting the air with the hostile power. "Release them!"

The angels froze in the green glow. Pain coursed through her bones, reaching further behind her eyes, and she settled in it as her duty.

Azazel took their distraction to curl up and turn into a clutter of black serpents, throwing the angels back. Broken wings and cracked limbs abound, but they didn't die; either for his lack of effort or greater reservation, she could not tell. The world simpled down to controlling the leeching power and survival — of herself, of everyone here, friend and enemy alike.

Jeanne shot ahead and slashed apart every weapon, injured as many as she could without killing. Azazel caught on, using his serpents to hold down her targets.

Spheres of green power offered themselves, countless wired together. She seized control through her spiritual flow, each grabbing one of the gods. The scream at the back of her throat wasn't allowed to leave. Biting through the infection, she threw the gods all over the hall. Knocking them out, as if she herself stood over them.

When the last lay brittle on the ground, she fell to her knees. She ached all over.

Azazel threw them out the door and collapsed the entry.

Jeanne forced herself back to her feet.

Sofiel was still stuck as ever, and looked so close to giving up.

What could she say? No optimism would affect the system. It obliged a rigid concept of faith, it wasn't moved by it.

"Do you really think she should make up her mind to be a demon?" Jeanne asked Azazel. "Would she still be herself, or ..."

"Like me? No, I did this to myself," he said, holding up his arm. "And to my mind."

He nodded at the walls, where old, red drawings were. He spoke in a whisper.

"Here I used up all my red blood and got purple in return. When I ripped my arm off to get free, it regenerated into black. When Cocytus fell, I lost three horns. And when Rita revived my arms, they were monster goats. Whatever governs our shape doesn't make sense anyway," Azazel said. "We change in accordance to who we are. She should never be a demon."

"So it's nothing spiritual at all? Just tech?" Rachel asked. "Why didn't you just say so before?"

"Huh?"

"I'm just more technology making shapes, like Dromos turning into a hand."

Jeanne's hands dropped. Perhaps that was true, but she was so used to seeing everything as spiritual that it didn't feel right. Nothing working though, perhaps they really ought to treat this like injury. Even Azazel's self mutilation.

She planted her sword into the ground and thought of extending the tear that the zommorod felt like onto the entire structure. One foot in the realm of Kujata, she twisted the sword and began to bleed black as she forced the ceiling to break.

As long as it wasn't Sofiel pushing further into sickness. Those marine eyes were on her in shock the entire time. Sofiel would have told her not to take this risk, had she known, but Jeanne wouldn't regret it.

The ground exploded, the magic tore. On the other side of the door the gods screamed.

Jeanne cursed it all to the end, finding the magical roots itself and tearing them loose. Absolving the earth from heaven in the language of a true traitor. Dark veins covered her skin, she had exerted too much at once. No wonder the Onyx Knights were so cautious nowadays.

Jeanne reached for Sofiel's chains. Using the power of Dromos, she dissolved heaven's energy from it while Azazel cut the physical matter.

With her clean hand, she helped Sofiel onto the unicorn. At least she was was conscious enough to hold herself steady.

Rachel nodded at Jeanne's hand. "Was that really necessary?"

"If it got us out, it was," Jeanne said before turning to Sofiel. Ever so careful, she touched her hand. "Sofiel, can you hear me?"

Sofiel nodded, but her eyes remained unfocused.

"You're free, we're going home. Just hold on a little longer."

"How did that alarm go off? We knocked out everyone we found, shut down each magical flow," Rachel said.

"You missed something," Azazel said, though he didn't know what.

Jeanne suspected fate. Fate had done this to Sofiel now she'd gotten in the way. It had to go down.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Nina found an unused craft room, where she paused to consider how to argue Athos should just join them and leave the human government altogether. He was familiar with demonic business—

The door shut just as she registered the second person in the room.

Nina barely saw Allesand jump at her, the next moment she lay sprawled on the floor. Her head throbbed.

"The Onyx Knights were much too enamored with their armors," Athos said somewhere behind her. "Your passive immunity helps nought against speed."

She rolled over to face him, teeth gritted, instincts priming her for the next attack.

He flipped his sword around in his hand. "Nor does it counter actual sword skills beyond such primitive wrist blades. Pathetic, truly."

She didn't need to ask. Still Chris's execution order. And he'd win if she betrayed the project by transforming here. Just one person walking through the door and it'd be done too. This needed to be over quickly.

"Oh, let me do it!" Allesand said.

Nina stayed on the ground, pretending to be too hurt to get up.

When Athos nodded, Allesand drew his own sword and loomed over her.

Nina's wing shot out, all force ready to beat into the sky. Allesand was caught within the magic, thrown only to be caught in the curve of her wing. She slammed him into the ground. Blood broke from all his skin as she pushed all kinetic magic out.

Athos shot around her and slashed at her from behind, Nina just barely ducked. Now on the brink of transformation, she had to force the magic away while she bled. The wound was too deep.

Allesand crawled to his feet, settling a maddened glare on her. He drew a dagger.

"What's going on here?"

A lot of feet approached. Athos cursed below his breath and went for them.

Allesand flashed at Nina, driving the dagger into her stomach. Her wings curled forward again, throwing him away.

Bloodier yet, he crumpled against the opposite wall.

Athos's sword glinted closer, but then the earth broke open, revealing Athias and Belphegor.

Allesand grinned manically before hurling himself at her.

Belphegor backed off, Athias closed the walls just in time to catch Allesand. Nina couldn't see much else, but Allesand started to gurgle and struggle.

The walls turned brittle as Trismegistus emerged. Something shot at Athos, chaos ensued, and Nina almost blacked out.

People screamed, Allesand stopped making noise, and her friends started making more — worried sounds, requests for help, blood, too much.

She couldn't transform here, she'd betray them all. The light grew fiercer, the dragon begged to rampage.

"Nina, stay awake!"

She opened her eyes to Marcio.

He helped her sit up, mindful of the dagger in her stomach. She reached for it, but he grabbed her hands. "Don't! You'll bleed out."

She let go and fought against the pain. Spirits, the walls had to die.

Marcio struggled to grow magic vines, trying to wrap them around the hole in her stomach. Belphegor dropped on Nina's other side, expertly weaving a cloth below to cover the found.

"What's going on there?" someone far away called.

"Nothing! Someone fell down and broke something, but we got it covered!" Burkhart called.

"You should leave," Marcio told Belphegor. "Go deeper underground, in case someone finds the body."

"Let me handle the body," Belphegor said. "Tell me, did Athos have a zommorod?"

"Definitely, we saw him throw green stuff."

The conversation became blurry sound.

Allesand lay nearby, a bloody mess. She didn't want to think about how much of that was her doing, but couldn't unsee.

He twitched still. A shiver ran over Nina and she kicked herself back. When the knife twisted, she cried out.

There she remained on her back, panting and clenching her teeth. Tears again, both for the pain and the betrayal.

The haze faded, the echoes didn't.

His orders once more. That remained clear in her clouding mind.

Shouldn't it begin to feel natural he'd gift her death? It shouldn't get heavier. It wasn't news.

People crowded around her, drawing her attention back to the present. Through the haze of tears and pink light—

"Please leave," she said. "I-if I transform he-re ..."

Someone's hands on her shoulders. Couldn't. Not here. Nina slung her wings out, thinking to fly away.

"Nina, please stay still, I'll get you out of here," Belphegor said. Careful, she lifted Nina. "Athias, close this tunnel after me as well as you can, I'm taking her outside. We'll deal with that body later."

Belphegor ran at top speed. Nina didn't know whether to hold onto her or the knife, but the pain demanded the latter. Every jostle hurt her, the pulse of the dragon instified.

Just when she feared she'd lose it, daylight hit her. Belphegor released her and Nina beat her wings

She was above the water, some distance from the city.

"Go!" Belphegor called.

That was simple enough for Nina's fraying mind to follow.

She kept flying until she was further down the river, where she collapsed onto the rocks. Only then did she removed her hand from the knife.

The water was cold against her legs.

Her pulse steadied, while she remembered all the times she turned into a dragon. The urge to fight and flee and protect ever strong, but never grounded.

She pulled the knife out. The blood on it stood warm against the sky and her hand.

 _This_ was his command : her death for his ... it didn't matter why he did it, the fact was he had done it. All of the world he had created was put together to kill people like herself. The end of his short mercy.

As she threw it, the dagger clattered on the stones in rhythm with her labored breath.

She would survive him, and accepted she had to. Over and over again, and it wouldn't end until he was gone. Far from their first meeting, the more she had come to know him, the more he was an abstract. Pieces of pain and blurs of a dream cobbled together into the the distance that shaped her life.

Near her heart she found all the tears she had hidden, and let them go. It was slow at first, sobs stifled by the pain in her stomach. So close to death, she still kept the transformation slow. The light broke as she cried, slow still, keeping herself just long enough to be aware as a beast.

At her first blast the water exploded, steam raising a wall around her. Dragons wept with fire.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Silly girl, making such a scene. Soldiers broke from the castle broke loose to detain her, perhaps kill her, and Rita felt very uninspired to do anything about it. Unrealistically so, to be sure. She had no reason to believe Nina would be fine. A little bit of a tipping point for fate perhaps, since herself sitting back and watch Nina fight wasn't unreasonable.

The humans might have something other than a zommorod squad though, so Rita flicked her staff to do something about it. A handful of mosquitoes was all it took.

Good thing too, since a godly ship landed in the hills and pretty soon, Azazel brought in two patients. While those got settled in a special cave, Azazel noticed the distinct lack of Nina.

"No, she actually isn't still at the castle," Mimi said. "She got stabbed and jumped into the river hoping to trigger a transformation. Not sure where she is now—"

"Thataway." Rita pointed up the river's stream, hoping nobody would ask how she knew.

Azazel shot off after ripping some curtain loose, while Jeanne just shot Michael a prayer; Rita guessed she asked him for locations.

"She's alive," Jeanne declared pretty quickly.

"Good. Now let's make sure you remain so too," Rita said. And find out what this meant.

 **· · · · · · ·**

He found signs of trashing and fire further up the river, but none of Nina herself. He rushed over the canopy in circles until he spotted a blotch of pink sitting against a tree.

As he landed, Nina stood up. Tactically looked away, he tried to put the curtain around her, just to end up with her arms closed around him.

"Glad you made it back." It sounded weak.

"Nina, what the hell happened?"

"Remember the guy I once asked you to spare? He and that Athos guy came for me."

Chaos dammit. Them.

One whom she spared, and one whom he had empowered just to lose him to Charioce. For himself it was just a matter of having had to kill them after all, the way he should have killed Kaisar once. For her, she had all these things about knowing people and Charioce. And himself. Telling her to just kill quicker next time would just kick her down further, so he dodged that topic altogether.

"And whom did you fight over there?" he asked because that was definitely a solid question and not at all avoidance.

"Nobody. I just trashed a bit ... just to let off steam." She chuckled, mingled with a sob. "I stayed all of myself this time. I think it never worked the previous times cause I wasn't, but I feel—"

"You better not say you're okay now." He fumbled with what to do, hands full of cloth and mind empty of answers.

"Yeah, I'm not, but it is better." She leaned back to look up with blurry eyes. "I'm almost used to it. That's probably good, right?"

"What the hell, you're not supposed to get used to being murdered." He wiped some of the damp hair out of her eyes; she'd definitely been crying but he could humor her to pretend it was the river. "Can you fly back?"

"I thinks so. I just sat down to steady myself." She stood back and unfolded her wings close around herself. "I got so close to killing him. I was aware and I hated it, but it was a reflex. I didn't hesitate. It's more like when I killed as a dragon than ... but now I hate it again."

"Then go ahead and hate it, just do the same with what he's doing to you." Azazel pulled the curtain around her, over her wings and all.

She pulled it closer, and went behind a tree to wrap it better around herself. When she returned, her eyes were dry.

"Athos got away," she said. "I'm a little afraid of going back to find the entire project has been uncovered."

"No sign of that when we got back," he said. "Athos is sneaky and practical, if he works for Charioce still he won't march up to other rulers to give himself away."

"Oh ... so did you find Sofiel?"

"Yes. She and Jeanne are both sick now. Can you believe Jeanne infected herself for a zommorod?"

"Yes, I can." Her face turned a weird kind of sad where she still smiled. "It's still better than the worst, right? We'll find a way to cure that. Don't worry, once Mugaro comes back all will be fine."

She was brushing off what had happened to her again. Like hell he wasn't going to worry, but he couldn't exactly say she should've come with them. It hadn't been safer in Dudael.

 _Let's go back_ was on his tongue, but it felt like throwing what had happened behind them, so he flipped out : "You should figure out transformation more than telekinesis."

"It'll waste time right now. A hybrid is what I am," she said with a shrug.

And just like that, she brushed it off and flew away. That reminded him way too much of himself, but as usual, he didn't know what to do about it. Nothing felt complete.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Allesand lay motionless on the table within the castle, unattended yet. He'd been found dead in an alley, deemed victim of a poorly installed zommorod by those who'd found him, but upon arrival, the doctor had seen found a poisonous dart in his stomach, half buried in the flesh. It must've been a demon's work, and sloppy at that.

Kaisar both feared and wanted to ask whether they'd killed the girl. For bad reasons, he admitted to himself. A certain irony existed in this whole situation : Azazel's _mercy_ leading to the death of a loved one. Same for the girl, who had spared Allesand twice now.

It was good revenge. At last it caught up to Kaisar : he had always considered it equal, that the demons suffer and die and not resist to the humans. At best they mattered less, but maybe it also catered to his sense of revenge. Gods and demons below, he didn't even know what that word meant anymore. The codes of honor said nothing about it.

He had been raised to follow people the crown. Doing so was the one constant in his life, so natural, so unquestioned. Just one time, he had followed Favaro for Favaro's sake. He started to wish he'd kept doing that.

When Athos joined him in the mausoleum, he only briefly looked over the corpse. It was the dart on the shelf that had his attention.

"As you can see, we failed. We had not expected that particular demon to show up. Imagine that, that pest with the blow darts. Such a simple little thing, lacking magic, fast as we are. The fool might as well have thrown himself onto the tip." Athos turned the dart over between his fingers, before tossing it to Kaisar. "They had a lot of these loaded into the walls itself, and humans controlling the rock. I had intended to wrap up whatever went down there after killing the main threat, but that wasn't the girl. They got clever, we need to take out that demoness first. Wouldn't want her to interupt our king with blow darts again, now do we?"

The girl dying was some distant fact, Belphegor another altogether. He'd never had reason to hate her, and she didn't rage the same way.

"I didn't report yet, so you have some time to come up with an explanation for how we broke out out of the slums. Now I've stolen a zommorod, I cannot go report to any of the foreign staff of the suspicious events down there. They'll suspect my loyalty to the king, so you need to do it."

"I understand. Give me some time to think up an excuse to be suspicious of the people in the hangar," Kaisar said. Maybe he lied.

"Naturally," Athos said. "I'll find a way for the others to remain hidden and will meet with you in the morning. We will make a plan to deal with the threats in greater number."

Kaisar had been a bounty hunter once, a system of god and humans aligned : sentence without trial. Judge, jury and executioner. It had never bothered him. It still didn't.

He wondered whether the dart in his hand still had enough poison.

 **· · · · · · ·**

 **October** **15**

 **· · · · · · ·**

Still at night, Belphegor was secretly glad when Azazel interrupted an organization meeting to invite her to Rita's laboratory, in exchange for watching over the clan's ground organization for her. _Her_ clan. She still needed to get used to that.

Azazel offered her a goat to go there swiftly; she took along Adva, while Durahanem and Kolraun accompanied him.

He said she'd see why, oh, see she did. Sofiel was back from Dudael, sick in ways she didn't understand. Rita had Sofiel in the middle of that weird machine from Olivia, and Jeanne infected by a zommorod on a nearby sickbed. Nina was at her side.

Jeanne told her in methodical terms what Dudael did and it was interesting because of what it implied, putting aside how harmful it was for the afflicted. And strange. Petty arguing with Azazel about romance had caused a regression, for order's sake. Falling angels made no sense.

Sofiel was within an unwarranted transformation, and could not be healed without Mugaro; Aurora had been sent to heaven, but returned without having been able to pass into Gabriel's inner sanctum. Now they hoped to help Sofiel with what they had.

That wasn't little.

Olivia regenerated from supernatural wounds by somehow cheating the transformation protocol, the way Nina herself regenerated to heal. The possession itself was a mystery, of course, but one that shouldn't have that effect. Mugaro had reported that she had a connection to all the humans involved. Said humans appeared to be without a soul, but were entirely themselves.

Klarimiani was herself once she was given a new soul, didn't matter it was an ichor soul, but Furfur seemed to peak through.

None of these facts appeared to connect to anything related to Dromos, yet Angra Mainyu had gone out of her way to bring Olivia here, and it shaped up that she was perchance involved in Furfur's reincarnation too.

Now it turned out that mental fortification of the wrong sort attracted infernal ichor, _and_ transformation induced by location.

This, the plan was to try observing what was wrong since Sofiel and undo the spell manually.

The machine on the surface was pipes and vessels and construct of copper and other metals. A lot of the parts must have been ransacked from other machinery. Most containers had magical items of the sensory variation, all connected to small drops of pure ichor. These in turn were hooked up to recording machinery of the medical variations; Rita might actually be able to handle them better.

Rita as a doctor was less equipped for technology, so she'd prepared a seat and observations behind the controls for Belphegor.

"Fate just tried to kill Nina now because it was easier without Azazel and Jeanne around," Rita muttered. "Or, fate suddenly got twitchy because we might be running into something it doesn't want us to know."

She activated the central circle into a reading modus. "Nina, why don't you try your trick in helping her?"

Nina stepped into the circle, disjointed the entire balance and ... tapped Sofiel on the shoulder. "You look lousy, I hope you get better soon. It's mind sickness, right? Just like Azazel's snakes. I have a trick for that."

Sofiel looked through unsteady eyes at Nina holding out her hand.

"I tried channeling it away already," Jeanne said. "It does not work the same way as received power."

"Yeah, but you're sick too. Lemme try."

Nina plopped down crosslegged before Sofiel, held out her hands and —

All the machines went haywire in recording. Sofiel's form contracted and turned to light before violently reforming back to a goddess.

Stunned Nina watched, hands still out. "That didn't happen last time."

The device just plain didn't know what to read about it. The absorption crystal in the cylinder tried to intake both holy power and expulsed dark power. The electric rod insisted power was flowing through and away at the same time. The case with vision water flickered through countless random shapes. The life stats reported both death and hyper vitality.

Once the light was all but subsided, Sofiel was physically as before, though her clothes had changed somewhat and a halo now stood bright and constant over her.

Nina had a small, fading flame over her head.

Two readings then. "Rita, help me separate the data, I don't know which belongs to whom."

Jeanne approached, though she was careful to keep her infected hand behind her back. She set down a pillow for Sofiel, briefly touched her hand, and then moved back.

As the fluctuation faded, Sofiel's rot partially returned. Hmm. Whatever Nina had done was more like a boost, rather than healing. Cordord? Oh, if only they knew what they were looking _for_.

The little flame over Nina's head faded entirely.

"It's alright, Nina," Belphegor said. "No one expected you to fix that."

"I tried to help Azazel and it launched him to connect with his goats, but this was more like it clicked? I took over for a moment, but it didn't last. Why?"

Belphegor adjusted a few things to focus on the flame.

"Cerberus, please go over there and switch on the tracking protocol we designed for linking your power to Nina and Mugaro."

That got her an annoyed look, but Cerberus did grudgingly put the scanning device over her nose. "Does this even work without an energy reader?"

"We're not looking for someone ..." She adjusted a few more things and cancelled others out, focusing solely on the energy flow. "Adva, Tipa, Augustin, please activate the healing mist. Nina, stay put. We're not healing someone, we just need insight."

The song brought about its mist and illusion. Around Nina lay a web of flow, fading but connected to Sofiel. _Similar_ to Sofiel, and Cerberus too.

Azazel had the most pronounced quirk of magic though, albeit under unusual circumstances. Scapegoats, fitting to a theme before he'd come to embrace that. Scapegoat was simply a folk saying among humans, which he didn't care for, so why ...

Nina was tied to almost everyone in the room.

Cerberus, Nina, Sofiel ... but herself, Azazel, Adva, Tipa, Kolraun and Durahanem were of another kind altogether.

She adjusted a few settings, and the mirage shifted. In the fog, Belphegor saw a wall of bricks around herself, or rather, compact magic of all kinds, and facts, and ... threats and gears ... and it was all hers to ...

That was it.

"Táxis! Rita, bring in Rocky! I figured out why Rocky could host a zommorod. It was _my_ zommorod, to my assistant. I am the demon of innovation."

"Nina, go fetch Rocky," Rita said, at which Nina jumped up.

"Magic is a program," Belphegor said. "They override nature in times, or adjust it. We get powers according to themes. Nina messing with energy channels doesn't just send energy away, it connects it to others because subconsciously she's about _that_. What she did by hooking into Sofiel just now has to do with similar themes.

When I worked with Rocky, he became my assistant working with my zommorod. They were both classified under my umbrella. On some level, I reclassified Rocky as assistant, and through that the zommorod as tool. It still is magical programming that controls them. I short cut the programming unwittingly by recategorizing it.

I think Olivia hoped to test Azazel for this : to observe in detail what happen if he started to embrace his true nature, using her best guess at what said nature was. Angra Mainyu encouraged me to take over the equipment, so it's fair to say Angra also is after this knowledge. In other words, they were trying to get a reading on the magical system that assigns gods and demons their powers."

"Hmm. That is contrary to how I approach magic as technology. You suggest it works on association and assignment," Rita said.

"Your method is not necesarily wrong, our evolution merely gives unique, limited short cuts. They can be transferred in some way, which is why Trismegistus benefited more from Azazel than the other way around; he could give pacts with magical ropes that work like snakes, but not take control of matter himself. Themes do matter."

"Hmm. And mine would be?"

"You've still got a pelos soul, though perhaps we should question your absurdly powerful link to hell's energy and your vast zombification range, but I have so much data I cannot make sense of." Or details, like why Angra Mainyu had visited both her and Azazel, and possible Cerberus's soul. Perhaps she was trying to observe their changes too ...

Nina returned not just with Rocky, but also Augustin. The man was rather offended to be snatched away, complaining about John not doing the job right, only to quiet when he saw Sofiel in her miserable state.

Fascinated, Belphegor and Rita watched what unfolded : after Jeanne explained what had occurred to Sofiel, he fell to his knees and apologized. He had been the one to inadvertently inform heaven of Sofiel's behavior.

Still pacted to Mugaro, to him the affliction was impossible to deny as a sickness even if his faith previously had him convinced the gods would know best. They could only guess at what he saw, but it had to be in greater detail than their machine.

Nina's energy spiked again; and subtle questions rounded out. She'd known just where to find Augustin and brought him here within a minute. That strange little fire burning all the time.

Augustin tried to heal Sofiel, but it didn't catch until Nina joined in.

Faith, belief, and attitude, choosing and electing.

Rita leaned closer to Belphegor, whispering, "She's doing what I do when I create zombies."

Belphegor almost dropped the tablet she'd been holding as something clicked into place.

"There's an underlying principle to life and shape then. Angra Mainyu's been trying to observe this principle."

"That's silly," Nina said despite not being in hearing range, and not responding to other sounds in the room. "She could just ask Mugaro and others."

Well then. Speaking of angles to be explored ...

· · · · · · ·

 _"Hey, Mugaro!"_

El Mugaro startled as Nina's voice came from entirely too close by. Reflexively ne looked around, but of course she was nowhere. This was an unusually clear prayer.

 _"Can you come back? We found Sofiel and she's really not okay. They tried forcing her to become a demon and she got really sick. Jeanne's sick too, but she wants to pretend she's not."_

The door bell rang. On the other side stood gods ne recognized a little; Odin's guard.

 _"Come home, your hallow guys say there's weird stuff."_

Likewise here, the energy around the door turned weird.

 _"Hey, maybe we can send Aurora of the unicorn—"_

The connection grew hazy just as the door burst open.

Odin's elves rushed ahead, rife with their magic to encompass nur into another metanoia spell. Ne threw them back, only for a flock of elves to enter through the window.

Someone grabbed El Mugaro from behind. It wasn't a gate they passed, but rather a tear in space itself. For a dizzying moment, ne was aware of nothing but the one holding nur : the Magedatidot.

When they reappeared, it was within a small backwater chapel thing, full of scraps.

"This ought to buy some time. Fate cannot inspire people to act on what they never thought of, such as invading a small backwater chapel thing full of scraps."

Wide eyed, Mugaro stared at vun. "Did you just read my mind?"

"Oh no, I can do no such thing. I can merely read fate's intentions," the Magedatidot said. "And just now, Nina went down a road fate is not at all pleased with. It once used to favor her survival and would interfere with Charioce's attempted murders, but now it will let them play out, and possible worse. It hasn't decided what its next move will be, but it knows it wants you not to do what she asked."

"Fate can't control me?"

"Right. Nina _can_ be influenced, but not mind controlled outright and she just declared war on fate." Ve clapped vun hands together. "Favaro did so too, once, and it was an asset to fate then. Now though, all bets are off because Nina's supposed to think fate is romantic. Azazel, Jeanne, everyone who was disaffecte dby fate, they've done too much damage. And you're a threat. Should we go all the way, you think?"

"I don't understand."

"We see different things about the world. Shall we see?"

El Mugaro frowned at her and crossed nur arms, trying to make the words as clear as possible, "I am really, really tired of cryptic adults. If you're a prophet, you should know that already."

"Actually, I do not. As you are outside the immediate control of fate, visions around you are limited to how fate handles you getting in the way."

"That doesn't mean you have to be cryptic!"

The Magedatidot folded vun dress up to sit down. "Alright. Fate will attempt to murder me if I do anything to obstruct it too much. It already has it out for you. Prepare to flee at notice."

The talk about fate at the rebellion hadn't bypassed El Mugaro, but ne didn't really get how it worked.

"Wow. Fate really didn't like the way you're thinking right now," ve said. "Say, let's take a trip to the mausoleum. You just need to destroy the alarm around it so we can question Michael in peace. I'm really hoping Nina tempting has a nice ripple effect."

"But he's dead."

Ve held up a small glass sphere. "A soul vessel. They used to be the equivalent of a nice waiting room where they serve you tea and cookies while one adjusts to go back home."

"Home where?"

"Outside the world."

· · · · · · ·

The cave where Klarimiani waited was empty and full at the same time; devoid of people, yet brimming with junk and anxiety. Like stepping into the fumes of an kiln, if it simmered with cold rot. Contradictions were almost tangible in the air.

Klarimiani sat hunched over at a table, a cup of tea steaming before her, a bottle of rum aside. Her disheveled hair shielded her face.

Quietly, Nina sat opposite of her.

"Yesterday, I had another run in with your son's death sentence on me. I survived him again. By now, I don't know what to tell my own mother anymore about what I'm doing here. I wonder, did you raise your son like this?"

"I raised him to be ... a noble man. Nothing I said steered him away from what he's done, I just didn't think it'd ever matter. Who cares for demons and gods, right? Maybe if I wasn't this disgusting thing, I might've even come around to my son's madness, who knows."

"I would have," Nina said. "It's my ordained destiny before fate decided I wasn't useful anymore."

"Fate. Damn it to oblivion. It's nothing but a curse, and not the good kind that I ... it ... used. Not nourishing, just stagnation ..."

Nina looked at her in shared sadness. They were nothing alike, save being compliments from fate to Charioce.

"How are you dealing with being the footnote to all of this?" Nina asked. "Are you okay?"

"How can I ever be? Some whore, some discarded thing with a child, some dead mother to be kept ... and now this ... it's always this. I match better with him than anything else. Lost things thriving on hope."

"Who are you talking about?"

"This ... this thing that that damn doctor put in me. A demon's soul. It's got _memories_."

"Could you tell me who that demon was? Please? I do not like what Angra and Olivia have done at all, but maybe it's got something we can use."

"Hah, of course you came for my use. Well then. A demon of despair who fed upon souls. Olivia and Angra Mainyu took an interest because of that ability, to take souls out of their socket. They said they were curious about exploring the options of the world.

Olivia figured out that the diminished powers of the demons was only for those who thrived on fear. She specialized herself into being a demon of hatred, and so had much more potential to explore. She investigated possession, for which she invoked Furfur's ability to remove souls so she could slip in the spot."

"Oh, like I regenerate," Nina said. "Except my soul doesn't change and—"

"Like spirits once did. Do you know what Furfur means, dragon? The husk, the blight. I'm just a woman from the slums, always hoping to get out. And the other me, just a spirit from primordial ages, hoping to get out." She began to sob. "To a world doesn't exist anymore for us. I was beautiful once, and it got me somewhere. He was such a good boy then, always taking care of me. I don't want him to do all this. Or _be_ like this. I wanted to go back to the castle, not this."

Her wings twitched, losing a few of the already sparse white feathers.

"He wouldn't let me out." Those last words came out in a monotone similar to her son, but her face was twisted in grief. "And we can't get out of this body. Not back to the way it is supposed to be."

"What do you mean?" Nina asked.

But Klarimiani's eyes shifted to the doorway.

Nishaol stood there. "Nina, are you done? I just wanted to suggest a place where you can do this better."

· · · · · · ·

In the center of Vanaheimr's mausoleum, the Magedatidot put the marble at the center of the farthest dome.

The mirage of Michael settled on it. His projection became animate and color overtook the blue shine.

He had a similar dark vest as El Mugaro and the same heterochromatic eyes, but other than that ne didn't know what to think. This man was just distant stranger, whose presence ne had never quite been able to feel. He must've been around sometimes though, cause he _was_ familiar.

"My son, I am glad to meet you face to face at last, even if it must be under such circumstances."

El Mugaro looked away. Thinking of him as father was strange when he'd never been part of nur life.

"Such circumstances indeed," the Magedatidot said. "We both have a few questions pertinent to the, ahem, circumstances of usual world destruction. Your random decision to create a nephilim threw a blockade in the path of more than a few, and—"

"Why did you name me after El Elyon?" El Mugaro wasn't used to butting in, but there actually were a lot of questions.

"My intent was to name you Eleleth. I did not hope for you to thread the footsteps of Elyon, but to reveal the truth to my beloved Jeanne," he said. "There was no grand plan for your life, though ... I had no grand plan for Jeanne either, and she took one up regardless. Now I see you so alike to her, am I wrong to assume you do the same?"

"You're right, I want help people too. That's why I'm here. You once thought you served fate and the salvation of the world be recruiting mother as a vessel for Zeus. Right?"

He nodded.

"Well, fate's mean and wants to kill me. Ve and a lot of others will help me, and I hope you too."

The Magedatidot nodded right when Michael cast vun a strange look.

"We were under the belief that fate is the will of El Elyon persisting despite the destruction," Michael said, now drained of much of his former warmth.

"You knew El Elyon?" the Magedatidot asked. "Pardon my inquisition for what may seem obvious to you, I have not been to this world before the void claimed that one."

"Who are you?" Michael asked. "From this side of the world, you are not of us, I can see."

"I'm not certain we should say, but ..."

· · · · · · ·

The mausoleum of Anatae lay empty in the night, closed off far as far as it had been completed. Klarimiani struggled to the center of the hal and spread malformed wings from her back. Small white fathers poked from her shoulders onto the membrane.

Hesitant, Aurora stood at the wall and activated the projections. Klarimiani, or perhaps Furfur, laid their hands into the strings of light.

Nothing happened.

Aurora tried fiddling with the settings to no avail.

"Hey." Nishaol pushed her aside. "Let me try."

"Huh? You know about—"

The blue light turned more diverse, while the walls dimmed with darkness. Nishaol nodded at Klarimiani and Furfur. "Proceed."

But they stopped. "What do you want?"

Confused, Nina approached, but Aurora rushed to her side, clinging to her arm to keep her back. "Something's wrong."

"I want to know how this world works," Nishaol said. "That is why you are here. Simple."

"Degraded to a tool, it doesn't look like that to us," Klarimiani said. "Tell me what you want or I won't move."

"I am just curious," Nishaol said. "I want to learn. That is rather rare for my kind, wouldn't you say?"

"I know nothing of your kind of demon and we don't want to," Furfur said, the voice growing colder with every word. But it was Klarimiani who followed iup with, "What would you even do with what you learn?"

"There is no bigger secret," Nishaol said, drawing a blade from her back. "But I could get you acquainted with the void outside the world, see whether you talk then. I have more time than you do, and more time to lose. Testing my patience follows different rules than yours."

" _Distant_ rules," they hissed back. "Old thing, you haven't lived like we have."

"My rules now too," Nishaol said. "The primordial deities are all gone, we must make do with this chaotic world. We could help one another."

Swifter than could be seen, Nishaol pushed Klarimiani to the ground central to the circle.

"Enough! What are you ..." Nina jumped ahead, only to freeze when Nishaol looked up with empty eyes. "... doing?"

"Helping, in theory. I would like this architect to speak." Nishaol took a step closer to them.

Nina grabbed her arm, and Nishaol's head whipped back.

Under her touch, Nishaol melted away for a dark purple skeleton that rapid grew horns and lost its eye sockets.

There was Angra Mainyu.

· · · · · · ·

"Well now, secret's up. You may call me Spenta Mainyu from here on," said with bright smile.

"Okay," EL Mugaro said. "Why'd you not say so ... before ..."

Michael stared in abject horror at Spenta.

"Why are _you_ here?" He floated higher, as to look down on vun. "This is not your world."

In return, ve's ever peaceful demeanor drew harsh. "Not anymore than is _yours_. You took no lesson from the end of Behemoth and Leviathan. Look what we found, a world encased with diminished free will, stagnated and unstable upon the eternal sea! Would Ahura Mazda and El Elyon see this, what but shame would be their answer?"

"We have no judgment to receive from the children of other deities."

"Yet you host pantheons from more than one other cosmos on this one. You felt quite fine judging them," ve said.

"Someone must."

"Ah, someone. _My_ task. To find Arbiter Mortis and other children of El Elyon, having claimed dominion over the world without Kujata's approval. You were never meant to live within matter, so you should have adapted, not dominated what you do not understand."

"It is not yours either," Michael snapped.

"And we do not defile it, unlike you, because we understand it just a little better. Or ... do you even understand what has been done to this world?"

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Why?" Nina asked. "What did you do this all for?"

"Curiosity. I meant to slumber on this forsaken world until the end of time. What had grown on this world, this what you call fate, is a plague hard to decipher. We had long since given up, but Amira stumbled into disrupting it. Perhaps a chance after all, lest I'd be alone in the void to struggle against what lies out there. So I am in concord with an old ... well, adversary. Once, before we understood how small we were.

Now, we try to help Amira along without fate seeing too much of us. Who knows? Fate doesn't, and that is to our benefit."

 **· · · · · · ·**

"You want to do what?" Azazel said, well aware his tone was on the brink of tolerance and not caring because _what_.

"Paracelsus will seize control of the Valerian automatons while they are in the process of moving it and load it onto _our_ ship," Lucifer said. "Grigori did not explain well enough?"

Grigori had been sent to inform Azazel of more or less that, but not why _now_. Could he stall for time?"

"Where is Paracelsus anyway?"

"Late."

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Eons ago, creatures beyond your understanding created numerous worlds in a state of Eden. A delicate balance of entities, governing worlds on the ride of the primordial sea. The first holy beings, unicorns, existed to monitor the balance of the world and herald the chaos waves, so the worlds could protects themselves against the monster outside.

Spirits would always listen and oblige upon the visits of the supreme entities. In the old world, flesh was but a vessel for the spirits. I was among El Elyon's loyal servants, vun old pantheon. Upon the destruction of our old world, we adopted this core world and maintained it."

As Michael spoke the images of the earth unfolded, countless ground full of strange plants and metal structures, lines without rhyme.

"And El Elyon did well from what we gather. But altogether you were still in a system not of your own making. You saw a harvest field. We do not know yet what it truly was. Mugaro, have you heard the tale of Eden?" Spenta said.

El Mugaro nodded. It had been covered in the lessons Gabriel had nur take, albeit just briefly. The ideal state of the world.

"This is Gan Eden," Spenta Mainyu said. "The garden of El Elyon and two before, where that one came to rest and replenish from the routine of tending to the universe, and bring to the stars a harvest."

· · · · · · ·

Nina found herself dreaming of an early dawn with a calm wind brushing across the wide field. Countless automatons lay here, some half buried by soil, others fresh on the earth.

Between them glowing crystal spires shone in the dawn. Heaven soon draw her attention as it set ablaze with lights : spirits raining down, twirling and shooting into the automatons. Others took possession of animals, and springing to life were countless humans preserved within the automatons.

As Nina closed in, the humans emerged not from any fancy beds, but small stones, not unlike those bounty hunters received after a kill. More complex though, engraved with names on the other side.

Her guide hovered next to her, running a pale hand over the edges. "Claims, preferences, permissions. These contain the spells, so to say, for any given new body to reform. They often have the same pilots. Brains were not complex at that time, adapted to receiving new information. When the body was no longer used, this is what they became."

Before her eyes, a tablet forge itself into a living human, clothless as much as sexless, though not all were such. Rather than clothes aimed at modesty, they wore worker's clothes full of belts and tools.

The embodied spirits went to work, simple and quick in breaking the crystals as automatons, or carving intricate structures and spells into them with versatile human hands. Unicorns often emerged from crystals, speaking with the spirits through telepathy of what needs had to be met this day; children of Kujata.

Nina floated around them, somehow able to understand their language just fine. Chit chat, for most part. They discussed plans for heaven's hymns, others spoke of progress in natural wonders they had invented, new animals coming to be, creatures and monsters to be inhabited one day, games and challenges to play.

Peaceful, though not perfect. Here and there was painful silence, or soft griping.

Two spirits came to a fight when an automaton exploded, their rancor soon rising, and the elements around them distorting.

The supervisor called for order, and order was given : both bodies fell lifeless to the ground, and the spirits fell through the ground. Furfur pulled Nina along, deep into the bowels the earth.

"Spirits do not cry, do not rage, do not process the same way your modern humans do," Furfur said. "They do not inhabit the way you do. Here they express all, whether it be slight grievances or long mourning, and the world gives them as much energy as they need for this purpose. At that time it was always simple matters, none of the complicated themes of these days."

Barely humanoid monsters rose from the darkness and fire, endlessly throwing themselves into rushed battles and crawling in the darkness. All eventually stilled, and died, and the spirits returned to the firmament to resume peaceful life.

It was no game of war, but they all understood the harm they caused here would not last; two titans struggled and tore at each other to the point of bleeding, only to return to heaven together.

"Catharsis in the darkness," Furfur said. "Violence was a kindness we did to each other in this world. The wounds never lasted, and all could opt out at will. Scars were scarce, and if anything, learning to bear pain was training. There was but one time one had to endure such for duty and purpose."

Furfur drew her through to the earth, back to the surface.

A black and green lined mass leaked up from earth, rising around a green pillar of light until it became a tree. The pillar became a star so far above the sky, it distorted the blue.

"When the world tree rose, El Elyon descended to earth," Furfur muttered, his voice strangely soft now. "Some times it was peaceful, other times Bahamut was in turmoil and raising Dromos took effort. Took blood. It was always worth it."

Descended through the pillar was a stars so bright, it hurt Nina even in this shared memory. Furfur or maybe Klarimiani put hands over her eyes. She could only see the foot of the tree, now crowding with automatons and small humanoids, unicorns and dragons.

Soon lights fell from the star, small like humans; the angels that had come with El Elyon. It was the unicorns who offered the harvest of zommorods to them, which followed them like rivers.

The angels mingled with the spirits in the flesh and by mind. The sensation of days, weeks and months passing was impressed on Nina, during which a slow rising hum echoed between El Elyon and someone beyond hell.

"That is Kujata, who upholds the layer of emeralds that are harvested, whom we are too small to comprehend. Yet I supposed we fancied we could, because we believed El Elyon could not die. We believed them foundations of the world.

When El Elyon died regardless, our paths disintegrated over time until we were stuck. The actual angels and demons, those who bear wings, arrived some time after El Elyon's death to tend to the world."

Klarimiani's voice had begun to mingle with Furfur's. As they spoke, the countless spirits trapped in mortal coils disintegrated.

Another deity arrived.

The one called Furfur now saw hope in the spirit so alike to El Elyon, yet this one did not descend in the vessel of Dromos.

"None can see El Elyon to the face and live, and we lived to see vun face, but still ..."

The spirit looked deeper to them, terrifying in its existence. It pulled together power until the system acknowledged it, and provided a form : appearing as a blond woman in white and blue gown, regal and cold. A lopsided halo floated over her head, centered on a blue crystal. Wide white wings curled forward to encircle a staff with a black sphere and a golden scale in her hands.

"The Arbiter, Mortis," they said. "The first of the clan we now call gods to come to this world. She had only been to this world before during rare times of settling disputes, never a permanent resident."

Mortis settled in heaven, where she wrought herself a throne by sheer willpower and declared that the world was safe. She would tend to it, and oh, did it need it.

She did not seek a solution for the spirits trapped within their forms, declared such a caste might exist just as well as they were. This was humankind. And those who exist without form might still tend to their world in their best capacity. This was spiritkind.

They did not know what to do against her, for she existed deeper, more solid. Mere injury could not harm her, she regenerated by virtually all mortal means.

"It's because their souls exist on a different level," Nina said. "One of my friends can see this, ne's the child of one of ... hey ..."

Five more angels joined with Arbiter Mortis, one of them Gabriel. Another resembled the one Jeanne had prayed to in the mausoleum, he had to be Michael. The other three then were Uriel and Raphael and ... Lucifer?

"Her council to tend to lesser matters while she meditated," they whispered. "The five archangels in her name. With them, Arbiter Mortis was the scourge of this world as she instilled suffocating order."

 **· · · · · · ·**

"Arbiter Mortis was the salvation of this world as she instilled strict order," Michael said. "It could no longer function in its old ways where it was sufficient for the spirits to be simple tenders. However, we could not and sought not to undo the fundamental laws of this world. We simply adapted. If power were granted, it still depended on nature.

Ours of course was faith, our very nature to instill in the ways of El Elyon upon the world. Mortis instilled a rigid structure to the world, under which it flourished to old glory despite the lack of divine guidance. We became new supreme divinity, reigning over the trapped spirits."

"It worked out quite _wonderfully_ too," Spenta Mainyu said. "Oh, was it up to me the love goddess would have taken your place much sooner. Now she is all corrupted and any other candidate I preferred nowhere even close to the throne. Fate dealt with them already, it does not like me at all. I wonder why it gives you favor."

"The system still recognizes us as maintainers. Past spirits invoking this system as overseer could specialize in certain functions and were granted power and potential based on this. We continued in their same vein—"

Mugaro flared all nur powers, though it hardly touched the spirit.

"This isn't that world anymore! They're all humans now, not spirits anymore," Mugaro said. "I never saw anything wrong with them, they're not stuck. Did you even know that when you decided they'd be inferior?"

Michael closed his eyes for a long time.

"We took upon us the role of maintainers, and refined it into guardianship. We were greater than them, they were faltered, but the system worked for us. That was proof of our capabilities."

Mugaro's shoulders dropped. "You know mother will be very sad when she hears you talk of her and everyone else like that?"

"I know. I perhaps do not agree with the harshness with which we ruled anymore, and I will not speak of her is inferior. I merely try to explain how we came to be."

"Well, it's poor and I'm going to change it."

Spenta clapped. "That's the spirit!"

Both Mugaro and Michael glanced at vun. Really, a pun?

"Yes, I am that old," ve said.

 **· · · · · · ·**

The world continues to rot around Nina, or so Furfur saw it. Humans sometimes became demons, and rarely spirits went down the same path. Wingless gods became a reality welcomed by heaven, though Furfur could not see under what reasoning, nor cared to learn from Nina's guesses ... Klarimiani did, though, wherever she began.

Furfur had been an architect once, content with steady work, but no longer caring for it.

"Then why are you here if you don't care?"

"Angra Mainyu brought me into this with the promise of recovery. If I must either be stuck here or the void, I might as well risk the chance to escape the rot."

"Even if that means Bahamut will destroy the world?" Nina asked.

"It has scourged the world countless time, but never ended it. It always regrows, and besides, I know the trick. I can get a new body if I need one; spirits are unharmed by Bahamut's fire, after all."

"Bahamut doesn't harm spirits?"

"Of course not, these are all physical attacks. Spirits are a large part of why the world can recover afterwards," Furfur said. "Your home has much spirits about, right? You don't know?"

A rumbling overtook the vision.

" _That_ is not part of the vision," the chimera hissed. The vision snapped out of Nina's mind so fast, vertigo knocked her off her feet.

While still clutching her head, the roof came down, and she was on the island again.

 **· · · · · · ·**

A green beam of power shot from the castle, just a glimpse on a vision screen and that was it. Absurdly quick before Lucifer's entire skybeast collapsed onto the ground. Before the room caved, Azazel teleported out of the collapsing castle, above it.

The beast writhed its tentacles across the riverside, the slums flooded, and he rushed down to help.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Malphas found them in time, perhaps. They salvaged what they could of the equipment, while Belphegor herself joined the evacuation of those few who'd made it this far below the city. What had caused the collapse she did not know, only they had to move below the upper ring.

Into the tunnels, further, quicker, hurried. Divesepid met them in a wider tunnel, said something was wrong at the castle. The humans had become hostile again.

Her priority, head count her clan, her second need, get the equipment safe, her third ... she didn't have one.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Sofiel could barely walk, so Jeanne pushed her onto the unicorn and sent her through a gate, hoping the unicorn would choose a good destination. She remained behind, sword and powers out to obstruct what little she could of the collapsing walls. Her people needed her.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Kaisar sat alone in a chair in the study his father had once occupied. The rumbling outside, the sound of a battle overhead didn't stir him. Downstairs, Felicia yelled something. People came up from the kitchen. Belphegor's voice. Jeanne, later. Favaro didn't come.

He stayed still.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Cerberus teleported all across Lucifer's collapsing castle until she found Coco locked up. At least, what ought to be Coco. He didn't really smell the same way and was stuck in monster form, except he had an all black body. When he didn't respond, Cerberus let go humanoid form and merged with Mimi. Together, they tore Coco off the makeshift body and planted him back onto their bleeding shoulder.

He woke up, at last, and they remembered together.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Favaro hadn't meant for this. He'd been so sure he was aware when fate was giving him ideas, but here he was in the castle, hot off of telling the humans the worst information they could get, and now the gods were considering to get busy too. Oh Amira, she would be sad all over.

 **· · · · · · ·**

Rita followed Belphegor right up to the kitchen, found an empty room, and from there zombified every corpse from that convenient crash.

 **· · · · · · ·**

His goats who found them first; Belphegor and a whole host of her tribe had made it into the upper ring tunnels.

Elsewhere, Cerberus was going around unearthing people, bringing them in a cave down the other end of the slums that hadn't collapsed yet.

By the time he arrived there, Cerberus had already brought in Nina. Goddamit, this was like what, the fourth time he'd left her just for her to nearly die? Why did— was this fate? It kept him away, or ... but everything he'd done seemed to make sense. He wasn't supposed to be influenced directly ... was he?

In a fleeting moment he had an idea why Merlin had had her moments of desperation long, what she must have seen when fate won her back.

Nina meanwhile saw nothing and responded to nobody, not even the goats or him. She just sat there on a rock as far away from the walls as possible.

"Nina?"

When cornered the responses tended to be fight, flight or freeze. He'd seen it on her a few times before, usually when in tunnels. It was worse since their return to Anatae but never this bad.

Nina's personal business was his job to pry into as far as it concerned Charioce and the rebellion only.

Maybe take her away from the underground at least.

He set a hand on her back, she startled.

"Come along."

They emerged from a small tunnel on the hills, overlooking the now browning forest. To their right the hills were full of demons under the shadow of the writhing beast.

The wreckage of the castle crumbled from the tilted head, tentacles crashing against the collapsing riverbank. Water flooded in, destroying what little of the slums still remained. The other end reached to the hills and had taken down the mausoleum, countless scorched houses, everything.

"Why now?" Nina whispered. "We were so close. I didn't think it was that literal that fate doomed me."

Still shaking, her eyes drifted towards the hundreds of now homeless demons.

He pulled her back to sit on a nearby rock. "We'd go home anyway. Until then, they'll live on the beast."

Or in it, if it died and could be hollowed out. The humans had stopped firing, maybe a truce could still be reached. Jeanne must've done something.

Nina leaned back, breathing more steady. Whatever weighed on her, her father, the island, the castle, diminished a little. Enough that he expected she'd be fine finding her way to the others. He still held her a little longer,

He had so much to lose still, it all was too close to the end now. All his people in the hills whom he couldn't protect good enough, or her. The way he hated Charioce had gone into detail than broken demonic pride, fallen in the shadow of protection. None of this was good enough for his people, and he was too weak still to keep anyone safe _enough_.

"Can you do anything for them?" She sounded steady now, again.

He let go. "I don't know. I'll try."

Nina looked up. "Can you do anything _without_ provoking Lucifer?"

"Tch."

"They don't need a scapegoat, we need a leader of their own," Nina said. "That whole complicated court stuff."

"I'm not for that."

"No, but you're the only one who can even try," Nina said. "I just saw Cerberus, all she does is gather her pack and put her tail between her legs. Belphegor doesn't have connections, right? I don't see them the way I do with Cerberus. And you have potential, and power."

He paused. "You can see things now?"

"In a way," Nina said. "But all it does it confirm things a bit that I already can figure out if I try. It's a short cut, and so are you. We need that short cut. So please try something other than hurling your whole self at a problem."

There she was worrying for him again. He let go abruptly.

"Go to Kaisar's place. I'll be there soon."

 **· · · · · · ·**

Bacchus burst into the forum where Mugaro was getting a very boring lecture.

"It's war," he panted. "The truce is over, the demons are trying to take Dromos."

Gabriel sprung to her feet. "Assemble the forces. Bacchus, contact Odin on our behalf."

"Did that already, he doesn't want your help," Bacchus said.

"He must! Open a line of communication _now_."

Mugaro waited quietly until Gabriel failed and wrapped up to storm out. Bacchus lingered in the hall, and ne approached.

"Bacchus, we need the gods and demons to realize Bahamut is coming as soon as possible. I can't leave without getting a load of gods after me, but you can. You need to help my mother and the others take Dromos to Eibos."

He ran a hand over his bald head. "But, uh, look it's one thing to spy on Odin, but—"

"You can get in the middle of things exactly because of that! Come on, Hamsa's already down there. Surely you can help? I'll be up here and see what I can do."

"You really sure this is the best course?"

"You must," Mugaro said. "And so do you, Michael. Do you hear us? If you want to make up for heaven's neglect, then help us."

"He cannot."

They turned, finding Spenta Mainyu hovering nearby them. "He is a whole soul and might act in accordance to fate. Bacchus at least we can keep an eye on."

"Can't we make them immune?" Mugaro asked. "My mother is immune, right?"

"Wards are always immune to fate's cognitive inspirations," Spenta Mainyu said. "The system of fate is, presumably, based on the leylines of the spirits. It only works on what it recognizes. Those with damaged souls, such as Azazel, we can only poorly predict."

Mugaro frowned. "Poorly predict?"

"Of course I can guess."

Mugaro crossed nur arms, trying to be intimidating. It just got a chuckle.

"Alright, alright. I actually did arrange Azazel's entire wall of wards, hopefully in a conspicuous enough way that fate couldn't guess which we hoped he'd take. We were gambling hard on his attention rate, and his ability to tell which bounties were botched enough to still have souls attached. The latter worked, the former less so. Merlin was all but unavoidable, she was his most powerful ward," ve said. "I had hoped he would take the regenerator, the stealth warriors, and a number who had been able to inherited his teleportation potential. Unfortunately, the only one he grabbed that we intended for was Walfrid."

"What were you trying to do?"

Spenta fiddled with vun fingers, glancing away. "In the long run? Grab fate. Bahamut messing up all our efforts tends to set us back so I never got very far even with research. We're not sure yet, we just would like one of the last worlds in the universe to not perish to itself, so we want to take over this flawed fate."

"No. We're going to heal the world. Isn't Nina already doing something? I just need to know what I can add."

"Hmm, we're not certain how much we want to rely on Nina. She was made by fate, after all, and I cannot tell how it leads her."

 **· · · · · · ·**


End file.
